Notes on algebraic invariants for non-commutative dynamical systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Longo, R [Rome Univ. (Italy). Istituto di Matematica

1979-11-01

We consider an algebraic invariant for non-commutative dynamical systems naturally arising as the spectrum of the modular operator associated to an invariant state, provided certain conditions of mixing type are present. This invariant turns out to be exactly the annihilator of the invariant T of Connes. Further comments are included, in particular on the type of certain algebras of local observables

Invariant recognition drives neural representations of action sequences.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea Tacchetti

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Recognizing the actions of others from visual stimuli is a crucial aspect of human perception that allows individuals to respond to social cues. Humans are able to discriminate between similar actions despite transformations, like changes in viewpoint or actor, that substantially alter the visual appearance of a scene. This ability to generalize across complex transformations is a hallmark of human visual intelligence. Advances in understanding action recognition at the neural level have not always translated into precise accounts of the computational principles underlying what representations of action sequences are constructed by human visual cortex. Here we test the hypothesis that invariant action discrimination might fill this gap. Recently, the study of artificial systems for static object perception has produced models, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs, that achieve human level performance in complex discriminative tasks. Within this class, architectures that better support invariant object recognition also produce image representations that better match those implied by human and primate neural data. However, whether these models produce representations of action sequences that support recognition across complex transformations and closely follow neural representations of actions remains unknown. Here we show that spatiotemporal CNNs accurately categorize video stimuli into action classes, and that deliberate model modifications that improve performance on an invariant action recognition task lead to data representations that better match human neural recordings. Our results support our hypothesis that performance on invariant discrimination dictates the neural representations of actions computed in the brain. These results broaden the scope of the invariant recognition framework for understanding visual intelligence from perception of inanimate objects and faces in static images to the study of human perception of action sequences.

Link invariants for flows in higher dimensions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia-Compean, Hugo; Santos-Silva, Roberto

2010-01-01

Linking numbers in higher dimensions and their generalization including gauge fields are studied in the context of BF theories. The linking numbers associated with n-manifolds with smooth flows generated by divergence-free p-vector fields, endowed with an invariant flow measure, are computed in the context of quantum field theory. They constitute invariants of smooth dynamical systems (for nonsingular flows) and generalize previous proposals of invariants. In particular, they generalize Arnold's asymptotic Hopf invariant from three to higher dimensions. This invariant is generalized by coupling with a non-Abelian gauge flat connection with nontrivial holonomy. The computation of the asymptotic Jones-Witten invariants for flows is naturally extended to dimension n=2p+1. Finally, we give a possible interpretation and implementation of these issues in the context of 11-dimensional supergravity and string theory.

Human niche, human behaviour, human nature.

Science.gov (United States)

Fuentes, Agustin

2017-10-06

The concept of a 'human nature' or 'human natures' retains a central role in theorizing about the human experience. In Homo sapiens it is clear that we have a suite of capacities generated via our evolutionary past, and present, and a flexible capacity to create and sustain particular kinds of cultures and to be shaped by them. Regardless of whether we label these capacities 'human natures' or not, humans occupy a distinctive niche and an evolutionary approach to examining it is critical. At present we are faced with a few different narratives as to exactly what such an evolutionary approach entails. There is a need for a robust and dynamic theoretical toolkit in order to develop a richer, and more nuanced, understanding of the cognitively sophisticated genus Homo and the diverse sorts of niches humans constructed and occupied across the Pleistocene, Holocene, and into the Anthropocene. Here I review current evolutionary approaches to 'human nature', arguing that we benefit from re-framing our investigations via the concept of the human niche and in the context of the extended evolutionary synthesis (EES). While not a replacement of standard evolutionary approaches, this is an expansion and enhancement of our toolkit. I offer brief examples from human evolution in support of these assertions.

Antitumor Responses of Invariant Natural Killer T Cells

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Jennie B. Altman

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Natural killer T (NKT cells are innate-like lymphocytes that were first described in the late 1980s. Since their initial description, numerous studies have collectively shed light on their development and effector function. These studies have highlighted the unique requirements for the activation of these lymphocytes and the functional responses that distinguish these cells from other effector lymphocyte populations such as conventional T cells and NK cells. This body of literature suggests that NKT cells play diverse nonredundant roles in a number of disease processes, including the initiation and propagation of airway hyperreactivity, protection against a variety of pathogens, development of autoimmunity, and mediation of allograft responses. In this review, however, we focus on the role of a specific lineage of NKT cells in antitumor immunity. Specifically, we describe the development of invariant NKT (iNKT cells and the factors that are critical for their acquisition of effector function. Next, we delineate the mechanisms by which iNKT cells influence and modulate the activity of other immune cells to directly or indirectly affect tumor growth. Finally, we review the successes and failures of clinical trials employing iNKT cell-based immunotherapies and explore the future prospects for the use of such strategies.

Conformal (WEYL) invariance and Higgs mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Shucheng.

1991-10-01

A massive Yang-Mills field theory with conformal invariance and gauge invariance is proposed. It involves gravitational and various gauge interactions, in which all the mass terms appear as a uniform form of interaction m(x) KΦ(x). When the conformal symmetry is broken spontaneously and gravitation is ignored, the Higgs field emerges naturally, where the imaginary mass μ can be described as a background curvature. (author). 7 refs

How does the brain rapidly learn and reorganize view-invariant and position-invariant object representations in the inferotemporal cortex?

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Yongqiang; Grossberg, Stephen; Markowitz, Jeffrey

2011-12-01

All primates depend for their survival on being able to rapidly learn about and recognize objects. Objects may be visually detected at multiple positions, sizes, and viewpoints. How does the brain rapidly learn and recognize objects while scanning a scene with eye movements, without causing a combinatorial explosion in the number of cells that are needed? How does the brain avoid the problem of erroneously classifying parts of different objects together at the same or different positions in a visual scene? In monkeys and humans, a key area for such invariant object category learning and recognition is the inferotemporal cortex (IT). A neural model is proposed to explain how spatial and object attention coordinate the ability of IT to learn invariant category representations of objects that are seen at multiple positions, sizes, and viewpoints. The model clarifies how interactions within a hierarchy of processing stages in the visual brain accomplish this. These stages include the retina, lateral geniculate nucleus, and cortical areas V1, V2, V4, and IT in the brain's What cortical stream, as they interact with spatial attention processes within the parietal cortex of the Where cortical stream. The model builds upon the ARTSCAN model, which proposed how view-invariant object representations are generated. The positional ARTSCAN (pARTSCAN) model proposes how the following additional processes in the What cortical processing stream also enable position-invariant object representations to be learned: IT cells with persistent activity, and a combination of normalizing object category competition and a view-to-object learning law which together ensure that unambiguous views have a larger effect on object recognition than ambiguous views. The model explains how such invariant learning can be fooled when monkeys, or other primates, are presented with an object that is swapped with another object during eye movements to foveate the original object. The swapping procedure is

Higgs naturalness and dark matter stability by scale invariance

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Jun Guo

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Extending the spacetime symmetries of standard model (SM by scale invariance (SI may address the Higgs naturalness problem. In this article we attempt to embed accidental dark matter (DM into SISM, requiring that the symmetry protecting DM stability is accidental due to the model structure rather than imposed by hand. In this framework, if the light SM-like Higgs boson is the pseudo Goldstone boson of SI spontaneously breaking, we can even pine down the model, two-Higgs-doublets plus a real singlet: The singlet is the DM candidate and the extra Higgs doublet triggers electroweak symmetry breaking via the Coleman–Weinberg mechanism; Moreover, it dominates DM dynamics. We study spontaneously breaking of SI using the Gillard–Weinberg approach and find that the second doublet should acquire vacuum expectation value near the weak scale. Moreover, its components should acquire masses around 380 GeV except for a light CP-odd Higgs boson. Based on these features, we explore viable ways to achieve the correct relic density of DM, facing stringent constraints from direct detections of DM. For instance, DM annihilates into bb¯ near the SM-like Higgs boson pole, or into a pair of CP-odd Higgs boson with mass above that pole.

Real-time trajectory analysis using stacked invariance methods

OpenAIRE

Kitts, B.

1998-01-01

Invariance methods are used widely in pattern recognition as a preprocessing stage before algorithms such as neural networks are applied to the problem. A pattern recognition system has to be able to recognise objects invariant to scale, translation, and rotation. Presumably the human eye implements some of these preprocessing transforms in making sense of incoming stimuli, for example, placing signals onto a log scale. This paper surveys many of the commonly used invariance methods, and asse...

Kinetic theory in maximal-acceleration invariant phase space

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brandt, H.E.

1989-01-01

A vanishing directional derivative of a scalar field along particle trajectories in maximal acceleration invariant phase space is identical in form to the ordinary covariant Vlasov equation in curved spacetime in the presence of both gravitational and nongravitational forces. A natural foundation is thereby provided for a covariant kinetic theory of particles in maximal-acceleration invariant phase space. (orig.)

Invariance Signatures: Characterizing contours by their departures from invariance

OpenAIRE

Squire, David; Caelli, Terry M.

1997-01-01

In this paper, a new invariant feature of two-dimensional contours is reported: the Invariance Signature. The Invariance Signature is a measure of the degree to which a contour is invariant under a variety of transformations, derived from the theory of Lie transformation groups. It is shown that the Invariance Signature is itself invariant under shift, rotation and scaling of the contour. Since it is derived from local properties of the contour, it is well-suited to a neural network implement...

Preclinical evaluation of invariant natural killer T cells in the 5T33 multiple myeloma model.

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Haneen Nur

Full Text Available Immunomodulators have been used in recent years to reactivate host anti-tumor immunity in several hematological malignancies. This report describes the effect of activating natural killer T (NKT cells by α-Galactosylceramide (α-GalCer in the 5T33MM model of multiple myeloma (MM. NKT cells are T lymphocytes, co-expressing T and NK receptors, while invariant NKT cells (iNKTs also express a unique semi-invariant TCR α-chain. We followed iNKT numbers during the development of the disease in both 5T33MM mice and MM patients and found that their numbers dropped dramatically at the end stage of the disease, leading to a loss of total IFN-γ secretion. We furthermore observed that α-GalCer treatment significantly increased the survival of 5T33MM diseased mice. Taken together, our data demonstrate for the first time the possibility of using a preclinical murine MM model to study the effects of α-GalCer and show promising results of α-GalCer treatment in a low tumor burden setting.

Spin foam diagrammatics and topological invariance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Girelli, Florian; Oeckl, Robert; Perez, Alejandro

2002-01-01

We provide a simple proof of the topological invariance of the Turaev-Viro model (corresponding to simplicial 3D pure Euclidean gravity with cosmological constant) by means of a novel diagrammatic formulation of the state sum models for quantum BF theories. Moreover, we prove the invariance under more general conditions allowing the state sum to be defined on arbitrary cellular decompositions of the underlying manifold. Invariance is governed by a set of identities corresponding to local gluing and rearrangement of cells in the complex. Due to the fully algebraic nature of these identities our results extend to a vast class of quantum groups. The techniques introduced here could be relevant for investigating the scaling properties of non-topological state sums, proposed as models of quantum gravity in 4D, under refinement of the cellular decomposition

Quantum tunneling, adiabatic invariance and black hole spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Guo-Ping; Pu, Jin; Jiang, Qing-Quan; Zu, Xiao-Tao

2017-05-01

In the tunneling framework, one of us, Jiang, together with Han has studied the black hole spectroscopy via adiabatic invariance, where the adiabatic invariant quantity has been intriguingly obtained by investigating the oscillating velocity of the black hole horizon. In this paper, we attempt to improve Jiang-Han's proposal in two ways. Firstly, we once again examine the fact that, in different types (Schwarzschild and Painlevé) of coordinates as well as in different gravity frames, the adiabatic invariant I_adia = \\oint p_i dq_i introduced by Jiang and Han is canonically invariant. Secondly, we attempt to confirm Jiang-Han's proposal reasonably in more general gravity frames (including Einstein's gravity, EGB gravity and HL gravity). Concurrently, for improving this proposal, we interestingly find in more general gravity theories that the entropy of the black hole is an adiabatic invariant action variable, but the horizon area is only an adiabatic invariant. In this sense, we emphasize the concept that the quantum of the black hole entropy is more natural than that of the horizon area.

Evidence for a time-invariant phase variable in human ankle control.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert D Gregg

Full Text Available Human locomotion is a rhythmic task in which patterns of muscle activity are modulated by state-dependent feedback to accommodate perturbations. Two popular theories have been proposed for the underlying embodiment of phase in the human pattern generator: a time-dependent internal representation or a time-invariant feedback representation (i.e., reflex mechanisms. In either case the neuromuscular system must update or represent the phase of locomotor patterns based on the system state, which can include measurements of hundreds of variables. However, a much simpler representation of phase has emerged in recent designs for legged robots, which control joint patterns as functions of a single monotonic mechanical variable, termed a phase variable. We propose that human joint patterns may similarly depend on a physical phase variable, specifically the heel-to-toe movement of the Center of Pressure under the foot. We found that when the ankle is unexpectedly rotated to a position it would have encountered later in the step, the Center of Pressure also shifts forward to the corresponding later position, and the remaining portion of the gait pattern ensues. This phase shift suggests that the progression of the stance ankle is controlled by a biomechanical phase variable, motivating future investigations of phase variables in human locomotor control.

Factor Analysis for Finding Invariant Neural Descriptors of Human Emotions

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Vitor Pereira

2018-01-01

Full Text Available A major challenge in decoding human emotions from electroencephalogram (EEG data is finding representations that are invariant to inter- and intrasubject differences. Most of the previous studies are focused in building an individual discrimination model for every subject (subject dependent model. Building subject-independent models is a harder problem due to the high data variability between different subjects and different experiments with the same subject. This paper explores, for the first time, the Factor Analysis as an efficient technique to extract temporal and spatial EEG features suitable to build brain-computer interface for decoding human emotions across various subjects. Our findings show that early waves (temporal window of 200–400 ms after the stimulus onset carry more information about the valence of the emotion. Also, spatial location of features, with a stronger impact on the emotional valence, occurs in the parietal and occipital regions of the brain. All discrimination models (NN, SVM, kNN, and RF demonstrate better discrimination rate of the positive valence. These results match closely experimental psychology hypothesis that, during early periods after the stimulus presentation, the brain response—to images with highly positive valence—is stronger.

Human nature, human culture: the case of cultural evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewens, Tim

2017-10-06

In recent years, far from arguing that evolutionary approaches to our own species permit us to describe the fundamental character of human nature, a prominent group of cultural evolutionary theorists has instead argued that the very idea of 'human nature' is one we should reject. It makes no sense, they argue, to speak of human nature in opposition to human culture. The very same sceptical arguments have also led some thinkers-usually from social anthropology-to dismiss the intimately related idea that we can talk of human culture in opposition to human nature. How, then, are we supposed to understand the cultural evolutionary project itself, whose proponents seem to deny the distinction between human nature and human culture, while simultaneously relying on a closely allied distinction between 'genetic' (or sometimes 'organic') evolution and 'cultural' evolution? This paper defends the cultural evolutionary project against the charge that, in refusing to endorse the concept of human nature, it has inadvertently sabotaged itself.

On the invariance properties of the Klein–Gordon equation with ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. Here we attempt to find the nature of the external electromagnetic field such that the KG equation with external electromagnetic field is invariant. Lie's extended group method is applied to obtain the class of external electromagnetic field which admits the invariance of the KG equation. Though, the field potential ...

Quantum tunneling, adiabatic invariance and black hole spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Guo-Ping; Zu, Xiao-Tao [University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, School of Physical Electronics, Chengdu (China); Pu, Jin [University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, School of Physical Electronics, Chengdu (China); China West Normal University, College of Physics and Space Science, Nanchong (China); Jiang, Qing-Quan [China West Normal University, College of Physics and Space Science, Nanchong (China)

2017-05-15

In the tunneling framework, one of us, Jiang, together with Han has studied the black hole spectroscopy via adiabatic invariance, where the adiabatic invariant quantity has been intriguingly obtained by investigating the oscillating velocity of the black hole horizon. In this paper, we attempt to improve Jiang-Han's proposal in two ways. Firstly, we once again examine the fact that, in different types (Schwarzschild and Painleve) of coordinates as well as in different gravity frames, the adiabatic invariant I{sub adia} = circular integral p{sub i}dq{sub i} introduced by Jiang and Han is canonically invariant. Secondly, we attempt to confirm Jiang-Han's proposal reasonably in more general gravity frames (including Einstein's gravity, EGB gravity and HL gravity). Concurrently, for improving this proposal, we interestingly find in more general gravity theories that the entropy of the black hole is an adiabatic invariant action variable, but the horizon area is only an adiabatic invariant. In this sense, we emphasize the concept that the quantum of the black hole entropy is more natural than that of the horizon area. (orig.)

Invariant subspaces

CERN Document Server

Radjavi, Heydar

2003-01-01

This broad survey spans a wealth of studies on invariant subspaces, focusing on operators on separable Hilbert space. Largely self-contained, it requires only a working knowledge of measure theory, complex analysis, and elementary functional analysis. Subjects include normal operators, analytic functions of operators, shift operators, examples of invariant subspace lattices, compact operators, and the existence of invariant and hyperinvariant subspaces. Additional chapters cover certain results on von Neumann algebras, transitive operator algebras, algebras associated with invariant subspaces,

Measurement Invariance: A Foundational Principle for Quantitative Theory Building

Science.gov (United States)

Nimon, Kim; Reio, Thomas G., Jr.

2011-01-01

This article describes why measurement invariance is a critical issue to quantitative theory building within the field of human resource development. Readers will learn what measurement invariance is and how to test for its presence using techniques that are accessible to applied researchers. Using data from a LibQUAL+[TM] study of user…

Measurement invariance versus selection invariance: Is fair selection possible?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Borsboom, D.; Romeijn, J.W.; Wicherts, J.M.

2008-01-01

This article shows that measurement invariance (defined in terms of an invariant measurement model in different groups) is generally inconsistent with selection invariance (defined in terms of equal sensitivity and specificity across groups). In particular, when a unidimensional measurement

Measurement invariance versus selection invariance : Is fair selection possible?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Borsboom, Denny; Romeijn, Jan-Willem; Wicherts, Jelte M.

This article shows that measurement invariance (defined in terms of an invariant measurement model in different groups) is generally inconsistent with selection invariance (defined in terms of equal sensitivity and specificity across groups). In particular, when a unidimensional measurement

Rotation, scale, and translation invariant pattern recognition using feature extraction

Science.gov (United States)

Prevost, Donald; Doucet, Michel; Bergeron, Alain; Veilleux, Luc; Chevrette, Paul C.; Gingras, Denis J.

1997-03-01

A rotation, scale and translation invariant pattern recognition technique is proposed.It is based on Fourier- Mellin Descriptors (FMD). Each FMD is taken as an independent feature of the object, and a set of those features forms a signature. FMDs are naturally rotation invariant. Translation invariance is achieved through pre- processing. A proper normalization of the FMDs gives the scale invariance property. This approach offers the double advantage of providing invariant signatures of the objects, and a dramatic reduction of the amount of data to process. The compressed invariant feature signature is next presented to a multi-layered perceptron neural network. This final step provides some robustness to the classification of the signatures, enabling good recognition behavior under anamorphically scaled distortion. We also present an original feature extraction technique, adapted to optical calculation of the FMDs. A prototype optical set-up was built, and experimental results are presented.

Perturbative string theory in BRST invariant formalism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Di Vecchia, P.; Hornfeck, K.; Frau, M.; Lerda, A.

1988-01-01

In this talk we present a constructive and very explicit way of calculating multiloop amplitudes in string theories. The main ingredients are the BRST invariant N String Vertex and the BRST invariant twisted propagator. This approach naturally leads to the Schottky parametrization of moduli space in terms of multipliers and fixed points of the g projective transformations which characterize a Riemann surface of genus g. The complete expression (including measure) of the multiloop corrections to the N String Vertex for the bosonic string is exhibited. (orig.)

Harnessing Invariant NKT Cells to Improve Influenza Vaccines: A Pig Perspective

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Guan Yang

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Invariant natural killer T (iNKT cells are an “innate-like” T cell lineage that recognize glycolipid rather than peptide antigens by their semi-invariant T cell receptors. Because iNKT cells can stimulate an extensive array of immune responses, there is considerable interest in targeting these cells to enhance human vaccines against a wide range of microbial pathogens. However, long overlooked is the potential to harness iNKT cell antigens as vaccine adjuvants for domestic animal species that express the iNKT cell–CD1d system. In this review, we discuss the prospect of targeting porcine iNKT cells as a strategy to enhance the efficiency of swine influenza vaccines. In addition, we compare the phenotype and tissue distribution of porcine iNKT cells. Finally, we discuss the challenges that must be overcome before iNKT cell agonists can be contemplated for veterinary use in livestock.

CD1d expression and invariant NKT cell responses in herpesvirus infections

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Rusung eTan

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Invariant natural killer T (iNKT cells are a highly conserved subset of unconventional T lymphocytes that express a canonical, semi-invariant T cell receptor (TCR and surface markers shared with the natural killer cell lineage. iNKT cells recognize exogenous and endogenous glycolipid antigens restricted by non-polymorphic CD1d molecules, and are highly responsive to the prototypical agonist, α-galactosylceramide. Upon activation, iNKT cells rapidly coordinate signaling between innate and adaptive immune cells through the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, leading to the maturation of antigen-presenting cells and expansion of antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Because of their potent immunoregulatory properties, iNKT cells have been extensively studied and are known to play a pivotal role in mediating immune responses against microbial pathogens including viruses. Here, we review evidence that herpesviruses manipulate CD1d expression to escape iNKT cell surveillance and establish lifelong latency in humans. Collectively, published findings suggest that iNKT cells play critical roles in anti-herpesvirus immune responses and could be harnessed therapeutically to limit viral infection and viral-associated disease.

Rephasing-invariant CP violating parameters with Majorana neutrinos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nieves, Jose F.; Pal, Palash B.

2001-06-01

We analyze the dependence of the squared amplitudes on the rephasing-invariant CP-violating parameters of the lepton sector, involving Majorana neutrinos, for various lepton- conserving and lepton-violating processes. We analyze the conditions under which the CP-violating effects in such processes vanish, in terms of the minimal set of rephasing invariants, giving special attention to the dependence on the extra CP-violating parameters that are due to the Majorana nature of the neutrinos. (author)

Altered Perceptual Sensitivity to Kinematic Invariants in Parkinson's Disease

OpenAIRE

Dayan, Eran; Inzelberg, Rivka; Flash, Tamar

2012-01-01

Ample evidence exists for coupling between action and perception in neurologically healthy individuals, yet the precise nature of the internal representations shared between these domains remains unclear. One experimentally derived view is that the invariant properties and constraints characterizing movement generation are also manifested during motion perception. One prominent motor invariant is the "two-third power law," describing the strong relation between the kinematics of motion and th...

Spontaneous focal activation of invariant natural killer T (iNKT cells in mouse liver and kidney

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Zeng Jia

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Invariant natural killer T (iNKT cells differ from other T cells by their hyperactive effector T-cell status, in addition to the expression of NK lineage receptors and semi-invariant T-cell receptors. It is generally agreed that the immune phenotype of iNKT cells is maintained by repeated activation in peripheral tissues although no explicit evidence for such iNKT cell activity in vivo has so far been reported. Results We used an interferon (IFN-γ-inducible cytoplasmic protein, Irga6, as a histological marker for local IFN-γ production. Irga6 was intensely expressed in small foci of liver parenchymal cells and kidney tubular epithelium. Focal Irga6 expression was unaffected by germ-free status or loss of TLR signalling and was totally dependent on IFN-γ secreted by T cells in the centres of expression foci. These were shown to be iNKT cells by diagnostic T cell receptor usage and their activity was lost in both CD1 d and Jα-deficient mice. Conclusions This is the first report that supplies direct evidence for explicit activation events of NKT cells in vivo and raises issues about the triggering mechanism and consequences for immune functions in liver and kidney.

Leishmania infantum Exoproducts Inhibit Human Invariant NKT Cell Expansion and Activation

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Renata Belo

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Leishmania infantum is one of the major parasite species associated with visceral leishmaniasis, a severe form of the disease that can become lethal if untreated. This obligate intracellular parasite has developed diverse strategies to escape the host immune response, such as exoproducts (Exo carrying a wide range of molecules, including parasite virulence factors, which are potentially implicated in early stages of infection. Herein, we report that L. infantum Exo and its two fractions composed of extracellular vesicles (EVs and vesicle-depleted-exoproducts (VDEs inhibit human peripheral blood invariant natural killer T (iNKT cell expansion in response to their specific ligand, the glycolipid α-GalactosylCeramide (α-GalCer, as well as their capacity to promptly produce IL-4 and IFNγ. Using plate-bound CD1d and α-GalCer, we found that Exo, EV, and VDE fractions reduced iNKT cell activation in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting that they prevented α-GalCer presentation by CD1d molecules. This direct effect on CD1d was confirmed by the observation that CD1d:α-GalCer complex formation was impaired in the presence of Exo, EV, and VDE fractions. Furthermore, lipid extracts from the three compounds mimicked the inhibition of iNKT cell activation. These lipid components of L. infantum exoproducts, including EV and VDE fractions, might compete for CD1-binding sites, thus blocking iNKT cell activation. Overall, our results provide evidence for a novel strategy through which L. infantum can evade immune responses of mammalian host cells by preventing iNKT lymphocytes from recognizing glycolipids in a TCR-dependent manner.

Conformal Invariance, Dark Energy, and CMB Non-Gaussianity

CERN Document Server

Antoniadis, Ignatios; Mottola, Emil

2012-01-01

We show that in addition to simple scale invariance, a universe dominated by dark energy naturally gives rise to correlation functions possessing full conformal invariance. This is due to the mathematical isomorphism between the conformal group of certain three dimensional slices of de Sitter space and the de Sitter isometry group SO(4,1). In the standard homogeneous, isotropic cosmological model in which primordial density perturbations are generated during a long vacuum energy dominated de Sitter phase, the embedding of flat spatial R^3 sections in de Sitter space induces a conformal invariant perturbation spectrum and definite prediction for the shape of the non-Gaussian CMB bispectrum. In the case in which the density fluctuations are generated instead on the de Sitter horizon, conformal invariance of the S^2 horizon embedding implies a different but also quite definite prediction for the angular correlations of CMB non-Gaussianity on the sky. Each of these forms for the bispectrum is intrinsic to the sym...

Computational invariant theory

CERN Document Server

Derksen, Harm

2015-01-01

This book is about the computational aspects of invariant theory. Of central interest is the question how the invariant ring of a given group action can be calculated. Algorithms for this purpose form the main pillars around which the book is built. There are two introductory chapters, one on Gröbner basis methods and one on the basic concepts of invariant theory, which prepare the ground for the algorithms. Then algorithms for computing invariants of finite and reductive groups are discussed. Particular emphasis lies on interrelations between structural properties of invariant rings and computational methods. Finally, the book contains a chapter on applications of invariant theory, covering fields as disparate as graph theory, coding theory, dynamical systems, and computer vision. The book is intended for postgraduate students as well as researchers in geometry, computer algebra, and, of course, invariant theory. The text is enriched with numerous explicit examples which illustrate the theory and should be ...

Invariant submanifold flows

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Olver, Peter J [School of Mathematics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (United States)], E-mail: olver@math.umn.edu

2008-08-29

Given a Lie group acting on a manifold, our aim is to analyze the evolution of differential invariants under invariant submanifold flows. The constructions are based on the equivariant method of moving frames and the induced invariant variational bicomplex. Applications to integrable soliton dynamics, and to the evolution of differential invariant signatures, used in equivalence problems and object recognition and symmetry detection in images, are discussed.

Lorentz invariance on trial in the weak decay of polarized atoms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mueller, Stefan E., E-mail: s.mueller@kvi.nl [Kernfysisch Versneller Instituut (Netherlands)

2013-03-15

One of the most fundamental principles underlying our current understanding of nature is the invariance of the laws of physics under Lorentz transformations. Theories trying to unify the Standard Model with quantum gravity suggest that this invariance may be broken by the presence of Lorentz-violating background fields. Dedicated high-precision experiments at low energies could observe such suppressed signals from the Planck scale. At KVI, a test on Lorentz invariance of the weak interaction is performed searching for a dependence of the decay rate of spin-polarized nuclei on the orientation of their spin with respect to a fixed absolute galactical reference frame. An observation of such a dependence would imply a violation of Lorentz invariance.

Scale-invariant gravity: geometrodynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, Edward; Barbour, Julian; Foster, Brendan; Murchadha, Niall O

2003-01-01

We present a scale-invariant theory, conformal gravity, which closely resembles the geometrodynamical formulation of general relativity (GR). While previous attempts to create scale-invariant theories of gravity have been based on Weyl's idea of a compensating field, our direct approach dispenses with this and is built by extension of the method of best matching w.r.t. scaling developed in the parallel particle dynamics paper by one of the authors. In spatially compact GR, there is an infinity of degrees of freedom that describe the shape of 3-space which interact with a single volume degree of freedom. In conformal gravity, the shape degrees of freedom remain, but the volume is no longer a dynamical variable. Further theories and formulations related to GR and conformal gravity are presented. Conformal gravity is successfully coupled to scalars and the gauge fields of nature. It should describe the solar system observations as well as GR does, but its cosmology and quantization will be completely different

Permutation-invariant distance between atomic configurations

Science.gov (United States)

Ferré, Grégoire; Maillet, Jean-Bernard; Stoltz, Gabriel

2015-09-01

We present a permutation-invariant distance between atomic configurations, defined through a functional representation of atomic positions. This distance enables us to directly compare different atomic environments with an arbitrary number of particles, without going through a space of reduced dimensionality (i.e., fingerprints) as an intermediate step. Moreover, this distance is naturally invariant through permutations of atoms, avoiding the time consuming associated minimization required by other common criteria (like the root mean square distance). Finally, the invariance through global rotations is accounted for by a minimization procedure in the space of rotations solved by Monte Carlo simulated annealing. A formal framework is also introduced, showing that the distance we propose verifies the property of a metric on the space of atomic configurations. Two examples of applications are proposed. The first one consists in evaluating faithfulness of some fingerprints (or descriptors), i.e., their capacity to represent the structural information of a configuration. The second application concerns structural analysis, where our distance proves to be efficient in discriminating different local structures and even classifying their degree of similarity.

Permutation-invariant distance between atomic configurations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferré, Grégoire; Maillet, Jean-Bernard; Stoltz, Gabriel

2015-01-01

We present a permutation-invariant distance between atomic configurations, defined through a functional representation of atomic positions. This distance enables us to directly compare different atomic environments with an arbitrary number of particles, without going through a space of reduced dimensionality (i.e., fingerprints) as an intermediate step. Moreover, this distance is naturally invariant through permutations of atoms, avoiding the time consuming associated minimization required by other common criteria (like the root mean square distance). Finally, the invariance through global rotations is accounted for by a minimization procedure in the space of rotations solved by Monte Carlo simulated annealing. A formal framework is also introduced, showing that the distance we propose verifies the property of a metric on the space of atomic configurations. Two examples of applications are proposed. The first one consists in evaluating faithfulness of some fingerprints (or descriptors), i.e., their capacity to represent the structural information of a configuration. The second application concerns structural analysis, where our distance proves to be efficient in discriminating different local structures and even classifying their degree of similarity

Effect of silhouetting and inversion on view invariance in the monkey inferotemporal cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Ratan Murty, N Apurva; Arun, S P

2017-07-01

We effortlessly recognize objects across changes in viewpoint, but we know relatively little about the features that underlie viewpoint invariance in the brain. Here, we set out to characterize how viewpoint invariance in monkey inferior temporal (IT) neurons is influenced by two image manipulations-silhouetting and inversion. Reducing an object into its silhouette removes internal detail, so this would reveal how much viewpoint invariance depends on the external contours. Inverting an object retains but rearranges features, so this would reveal how much viewpoint invariance depends on the arrangement and orientation of features. Our main findings are 1 ) view invariance is weakened by silhouetting but not by inversion; 2 ) view invariance was stronger in neurons that generalized across silhouetting and inversion; 3 ) neuronal responses to natural objects matched early with that of silhouettes and only later to that of inverted objects, indicative of coarse-to-fine processing; and 4 ) the impact of silhouetting and inversion depended on object structure. Taken together, our results elucidate the underlying features and dynamics of view-invariant object representations in the brain. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We easily recognize objects across changes in viewpoint, but the underlying features are unknown. Here, we show that view invariance in the monkey inferotemporal cortex is driven mainly by external object contours and is not specialized for object orientation. We also find that the responses to natural objects match with that of their silhouettes early in the response, and with inverted versions later in the response-indicative of a coarse-to-fine processing sequence in the brain. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Invariant and Absolute Invariant Means of Double Sequences

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Abdullah Alotaibi

2012-01-01

Full Text Available We examine some properties of the invariant mean, define the concepts of strong σ-convergence and absolute σ-convergence for double sequences, and determine the associated sublinear functionals. We also define the absolute invariant mean through which the space of absolutely σ-convergent double sequences is characterized.

Implications of maximal Jarlskog invariant and maximal CP violation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriguez-Jauregui, E.; Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico

2001-04-01

We argue here why CP violating phase Φ in the quark mixing matrix is maximal, that is, Φ=90 . In the Standard Model CP violation is related to the Jarlskog invariant J, which can be obtained from non commuting Hermitian mass matrices. In this article we derive the conditions to have Hermitian mass matrices which give maximal Jarlskog invariant J and maximal CP violating phase Φ. We find that all squared moduli of the quark mixing elements have a singular point when the CP violation phase Φ takes the value Φ=90 . This special feature of the Jarlskog invariant J and the quark mixing matrix is a clear and precise indication that CP violating Phase Φ is maximal in order to let nature treat democratically all of the quark mixing matrix moduli. (orig.)

Invariant and semi-invariant probabilistic normed spaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghaemi, M.B. [School of Mathematics Iran, University of Science and Technology, Narmak, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)], E-mail: mghaemi@iust.ac.ir; Lafuerza-Guillen, B. [Departamento de Estadistica y Matematica Aplicada, Universidad de Almeria, Almeria E-04120 (Spain)], E-mail: blafuerz@ual.es; Saiedinezhad, S. [School of Mathematics Iran, University of Science and Technology, Narmak, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)], E-mail: ssaiedinezhad@yahoo.com

2009-10-15

Probabilistic metric spaces were introduced by Karl Menger. Alsina, Schweizer and Sklar gave a general definition of probabilistic normed space based on the definition of Menger . We introduce the concept of semi-invariance among the PN spaces. In this paper we will find a sufficient condition for some PN spaces to be semi-invariant. We will show that PN spaces are normal spaces. Urysohn's lemma, and Tietze extension theorem for them are proved.

Translation and adaptation of the physical activity enjoyment scale (PACES in a sample of Portuguese athletes, invariance across genders nature sports and swimming

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Diogo Monteiro

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to translate and validate of the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES, from Mullen et al. version in Portuguese athletes, invariance across genders and nature sports and swimming, as well as, external validity, through the Portuguese version of BRSQ. Athletes (n=1032; 273 nature sports, 759 swimming with an average age of 18,95 ± 6,59 years participated in this study. Confirmatory factor analysis (maximum likelihood, multigroup analysis (measurement invariance and correlation analysis were used for data analyzed. Results supported the suitability of the models (one factor which eight items showing an adequate fit to the data in each sample (general:χ²=181,96, p=<0,01, df=20, SRMR=0,04, NNFI=0,94, CFI=0,96, RMSEA=0,07, RMSEA 90% IC=0,06-0,08; male: χ²=113,27, p=<0,01, df=20, SRMR=0,04, NNFI=0,95, CFI=0,97, RMSEA=0,07, RMSEA 90% IC=0,06-0,08; female: χ²=67,59, p=<0,01, df=20, SRMR=0,03, NNFI=0,94, CFI=0,96, RMSEA=0,07, RMSEA 90% IC=0,06-0,09; nature sports: χ²=42,32, p=0,02, df=20, SRMR=0,037, NNFI=0,96, CFI=0,98, RMSEA=0,06, RMSEA 90% IC=0,04-0,08; swimming: χ²=130,14, p=<0,01, df=20, SRMR=0,04, NNFI=0,94, CFI=0,96, RMSEA=0,07, RMSEA 90% IC=0,06-0,08, as well as, were invariant across genders and nature sports and swimming (ΔCFI≤0,01. Enjoyment was, on the one hand, found to be positively and significantly correlated with identified regulation (r=0,82, integrated regulation (r=0,62 and intrinsic motivation (r=0,90. On the other, it was negatively and significantly correlated with amotivation (r=-0,25 and external and introjected regulation (r=-0,42; -0,38, respectively. Those findings allow concluding that PACES can be used to measure enjoyment in the future studies, thus filling an existing gap to date.

Rotationally invariant correlation filtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schils, G.F.; Sweeney, D.W.

1985-01-01

A method is presented for analyzing and designing optical correlation filters that have tailored rotational invariance properties. The concept of a correlation of an image with a rotation of itself is introduced. A unified theory of rotation-invariant filtering is then formulated. The unified approach describes matched filters (with no rotation invariance) and circular-harmonic filters (with full rotation invariance) as special cases. The continuum of intermediate cases is described in terms of a cyclic convolution operation over angle. The angular filtering approach allows an exact choice for the continuous trade-off between loss of the correlation energy (or specificity regarding the image) and the amount of rotational invariance desired

Properties of invariant modelling and invariant glueing of vector fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petukhov, V.R.

1987-01-01

Invariant modelling and invariant glueing of both continuous (rates and accelerations) and descrete vector fields, gradient and divergence cases are considered. The following appendices are discussed: vector fields in crystals, crystal disclinations, topological charges and their fields

Distinct and overlapping effector functions of expanded human CD4+, CD8α+ and CD4-CD8α- invariant natural killer T cells.

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Vincent O'Reilly

Full Text Available CD1d-restricted invariant natural killer T (iNKT cells have diverse immune stimulatory/regulatory activities through their ability to release cytokines and to kill or transactivate other cells. Activation of iNKT cells can protect against multiple diseases in mice but clinical trials in humans have had limited impact. Clinical studies to date have targeted polyclonal mixtures of iNKT cells and we proposed that their subset compositions will influence therapeutic outcomes. We sorted and expanded iNKT cells from healthy donors and compared the phenotypes, cytotoxic activities and cytokine profiles of the CD4(+, CD8α(+ and CD4(-CD8α(- double-negative (DN subsets. CD4(+ iNKT cells expanded more readily than CD8α(+ and DN iNKT cells upon mitogen stimulation. CD8α(+ and DN iNKT cells most frequently expressed CD56, CD161 and NKG2D and most potently killed CD1d(+ cell lines and primary leukemia cells. All iNKT subsets released Th1 (IFN-γ and TNF-α and Th2 (IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 cytokines. Relative amounts followed a CD8α>DN>CD4 pattern for Th1 and CD4>DN>CD8α for Th2. All iNKT subsets could simultaneously produce IFN-γ and IL-4, but single-positivity for IFN-γ or IL-4 was strikingly rare in CD4(+ and CD8α(+ fractions, respectively. Only CD4(+ iNKT cells produced IL-9 and IL-10; DN cells released IL-17; and none produced IL-22. All iNKT subsets upregulated CD40L upon glycolipid stimulation and induced IL-10 and IL-12 secretion by dendritic cells. Thus, subset composition of iNKT cells is a major determinant of function. Use of enriched CD8α(+, DN or CD4(+ iNKT cells may optimally harness the immunoregulatory properties of iNKT cells for treatment of disease.

Human, nature, society: synergetic dimension

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Н. А. Вахнин

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The paper gives an overview of the major directions of development in the system ‘human – society – nature’ and their philosophical and scientific contemplation. The fundamental achievements of the society and responsibility of the mankind for its progressive development have been analyzed. The distinctive features of changes in human interactions with nature in the era of globalization and intensive progress in science and technology are presented. It is reported that numerous studies of human intervention in the biosphere processes prove that it can become the most profound anomaly in the development of not only the biosphere but of the entire Earth system, i.e. become a cause of such conditions on the Earth that would be alien to the general biological process in its ontological sense.  The consequence of this is a dissonance in the rate of social evolution (social form of matter and nature evolution (all pre-social forms of matter, which is translated into the disturbed ‘functional optimum’ of intensive development of the ‘human-society-nature’ system, a threat of environmental crisis and disturbances in the very biological nature  of a human. It is asserted that synergetics today still remains appealing due to a need to find adequate answers to global civilization challenges in the world living through a crisis. According to estimations, human synergetic activities come to the fore in the 21st century, it is especially true for small and large self-organizing groups, which shall not only live in harmony with the nature, but also successfully manage all different-level subsystems. It is shown that synergetics is a new dialogue between human and nature, a new synthesis of the human knowl- edge and wisdom. This is a new approach to gaining insight into the evolution crises, instability and chaos, to mastering complicated systems in the state of volatility.

Invariant NKT cells and CD1d(+) cells amass in human omentum and are depleted in patients with cancer and obesity.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Lynch, Lydia

2012-02-01

Invariant NKT (iNKT) cells recognize lipid antigens presented by CD1d and respond rapidly by killing tumor cells and release cytokines that activate and regulate adaptive immune responses. They are essential for tumor rejection in various mouse models, but clinical trials in humans involving iNKT cells have been less successful, partly due to their rarity in humans compared with mice. Here we describe an accumulation of functional iNKT cells in human omentum, a migratory organ with healing properties. Analysis of 39 omental samples revealed that T cells are the predominant lymphoid cell type and of these, 10% expressed the invariant Valpha24Jalpha18 TCR chain, found on iNKT cells, higher than in any other human organ tested to date. About 15% of omental hematopoietic cells expressed CD1d, compared with 1% in blood (p<0.001). Enriched omental iNKT cells killed CD1d(+) targets and released IFN-gamma and IL-4 upon activation. Omental iNKT-cell frequencies were lower in patients with severe obesity (p=0.005), and with colorectal carcinoma (p=0.004) compared with lean healthy subjects. These data suggest a novel role for the omentum in immune regulation and tumor immunity and identify it as a potential source of iNKT cells for therapeutic use.

Synthesis of human-nature feedbacks

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Vanessa Hull

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In today's globalized world, humans and nature are inextricably linked. The coupled human and natural systems (CHANS framework provides a lens with which to understand such complex interactions. One of the central components of the CHANS framework involves examining feedbacks among human and natural systems, which form when effects from one system on another system feed back to affect the first system. Despite developments in understanding feedbacks in single disciplines, interdisciplinary research on CHANS feedbacks to date is scant and often site-specific, a shortcoming that prevents complex coupled systems from being fully understood. The special feature "Exploring Feedbacks in Coupled Human and Natural Systems (CHANS" makes strides to fill this critical gap. Here, as an introduction to the special feature, we provide an overview of CHANS feedbacks. In addition, we synthesize key CHANS feedbacks that emerged in the papers of this special feature across agricultural, forest, and urban landscapes. We also examine emerging themes explored across the papers, including multilevel feedbacks, time lags, and surprises as a result of feedbacks. We conclude with recommendations for future research that can build upon the foundation provided in the special feature.

Cellular Adjuvant Properties, Direct Cytotoxicity of Re-differentiated Vα24 Invariant NKT-like Cells from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

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Shuichi Kitayama

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Vα24 invariant natural killer T (iNKT cells are a subset of T lymphocytes implicated in the regulation of broad immune responses. They recognize lipid antigens presented by CD1d on antigen-presenting cells and induce both innate and adaptive immune responses, which enhance effective immunity against cancer. Conversely, reduced iNKT cell numbers and function have been observed in many patients with cancer. To recover these numbers, we reprogrammed human iNKT cells to pluripotency and then re-differentiated them into regenerated iNKT cells in vitro through an IL-7/IL-15-based optimized cytokine combination. The re-differentiated iNKT cells showed proliferation and IFN-γ production in response to α-galactosylceramide, induced dendritic cell maturation and downstream activation of both cytotoxic T lymphocytes and NK cells, and exhibited NKG2D- and DNAM-1-mediated NK cell-like cytotoxicity against cancer cell lines. The immunological features of re-differentiated iNKT cells and their unlimited availability from induced pluripotent stem cells offer a potentially effective immunotherapy against cancer.

Remarks on the E-invariant and the Casson invariant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seade, J.

1991-08-01

In this work a framed manifold means a pair (M,F) consisting of a closed C ∞ , stably parallelizable manifold M, together with a trivialization F of its stable tangent bundle. The purpose of this work is to understand and determine in higher dimensions the invariant h(M,F) appearing in connection with the Adams e-invariants. 28 refs

Invariants of generalized Lie algebras

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agrawala, V.K.

1981-01-01

Invariants and invariant multilinear forms are defined for generalized Lie algebras with arbitrary grading and commutation factor. Explicit constructions of invariants and vector operators are given by contracting invariant forms with basic elements of the generalized Lie algebra. The use of the matrix of a linear map between graded vector spaces is emphasized. With the help of this matrix, the concept of graded trace of a linear operator is introduced, which is a rich source of multilinear forms of degree zero. To illustrate the use of invariants, a characteristic identity similar to that of Green is derived and a few Racah coefficients are evaluated in terms of invariants

Lysophospholipid presentation by CD1d and recognition by a human Natural Killer T-cell receptor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

López-Sagaseta, Jacinto; Sibener, Leah V.; Kung, Jennifer E.; Gumperz, Jenny; Adams, Erin J. (UC); (UW-MED)

2014-10-02

Invariant Natural Killer T (iNKT) cells use highly restricted {alpha}{beta} T cell receptors (TCRs) to probe the repertoire of lipids presented by CD1d molecules. Here, we describe our studies of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) presentation by human CD1d and its recognition by a native, LPC-specific iNKT TCR. Human CD1d presenting LPC adopts an altered conformation from that of CD1d presenting glycolipid antigens, with a shifted {alpha}1 helix resulting in an open A pocket. Binding of the iNKT TCR requires a 7-{angstrom} displacement of the LPC headgroup but stabilizes the CD1d-LPC complex in a closed conformation. The iNKT TCR CDR loop footprint on CD1d-LPC is anchored by the conserved positioning of the CDR3{alpha} loop, whereas the remaining CDR loops are shifted, due in part to amino-acid differences in the CDR3{beta} and J{beta} segment used by this iNKT TCR. These findings provide insight into how lysophospholipids are presented by human CD1d molecules and how this complex is recognized by some, but not all, human iNKT cells.

On Integral Invariants for Effective 3-D Motion Trajectory Matching and Recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Zhanpeng; Li, Youfu

2016-02-01

Motion trajectories tracked from the motions of human, robots, and moving objects can provide an important clue for motion analysis, classification, and recognition. This paper defines some new integral invariants for a 3-D motion trajectory. Based on two typical kernel functions, we design two integral invariants, the distance and area integral invariants. The area integral invariants are estimated based on the blurred segment of noisy discrete curve to avoid the computation of high-order derivatives. Such integral invariants for a motion trajectory enjoy some desirable properties, such as computational locality, uniqueness of representation, and noise insensitivity. Moreover, our formulation allows the analysis of motion trajectories at a range of scales by varying the scale of kernel function. The features of motion trajectories can thus be perceived at multiscale levels in a coarse-to-fine manner. Finally, we define a distance function to measure the trajectory similarity to find similar trajectories. Through the experiments, we examine the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed integral invariants and find that they can capture the motion cues in trajectory matching and sign recognition satisfactorily.

Bulk and boundary invariants for complex topological insulators from K-theory to physics

CERN Document Server

Prodan, Emil

2016-01-01

This monograph offers an overview of rigorous results on fermionic topological insulators from the complex classes, namely, those without symmetries or with just a chiral symmetry. Particular focus is on the stability of the topological invariants in the presence of strong disorder, on the interplay between the bulk and boundary invariants and on their dependence on magnetic fields. The first part presents motivating examples and the conjectures put forward by the physics community, together with a brief review of the experimental achievements. The second part develops an operator algebraic approach for the study of disordered topological insulators. This leads naturally to use analysis tools from K-theory and non-commutative geometry, such as cyclic cohomology, quantized calculus with Fredholm modules and index pairings. New results include a generalized Streda formula and a proof of the delocalized nature of surface states in topological insulators with non-trivial invariants. The concluding chapter connect...

On density of the Vassiliev invariants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Røgen, Peter

1999-01-01

The main result is that the Vassiliev invariants are dense in the set of numeric knot invariants if and only if they separate knots.Keywords: Knots, Vassiliev invariants, separation, density, torus knots......The main result is that the Vassiliev invariants are dense in the set of numeric knot invariants if and only if they separate knots.Keywords: Knots, Vassiliev invariants, separation, density, torus knots...

Hauntings of Human Nature

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clasen, Mathias

2017-01-01

The central conflicts of Stephen King’s horror novel The Shining are rooted in human nature and reflect evolutionarily recurrent adaptive problems—the problem of balancing conflicting evolved motives, such as motives for selfish status striving versus motives for affiliative nurturing behavior......, and the problem of surviving the hostile forces of nature. Moreover, the supernatural elements of the novel resonate with evolved intuitions about non-material, moral forces at work in the world. That is why the novel continues to engage readers worldwide. Most critics, however, have overlooked or distorted...... the psychological underpinnings of the novel and the crucial function of the supernatural elements in the meaning structure of the novel. Hence we need an evolutionary psychological perspective which builds on recent findings in the sciences of human nature to account for the novel’s meaning, effects, and continued...

Metric invariance in object recognition: a review and further evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, E E; Biederman, I; Hummel, J E

1992-06-01

Phenomenologically, human shape recognition appears to be invariant with changes of orientation in depth (up to parts occlusion), position in the visual field, and size. Recent versions of template theories (e.g., Ullman, 1989; Lowe, 1987) assume that these invariances are achieved through the application of transformations such as rotation, translation, and scaling of the image so that it can be matched metrically to a stored template. Presumably, such transformations would require time for their execution. We describe recent priming experiments in which the effects of a prior brief presentation of an image on its subsequent recognition are assessed. The results of these experiments indicate that the invariance is complete: The magnitude of visual priming (as distinct from name or basic level concept priming) is not affected by a change in position, size, orientation in depth, or the particular lines and vertices present in the image, as long as representations of the same components can be activated. An implemented seven layer neural network model (Hummel & Biederman, 1992) that captures these fundamental properties of human object recognition is described. Given a line drawing of an object, the model activates a viewpoint-invariant structural description of the object, specifying its parts and their interrelations. Visual priming is interpreted as a change in the connection weights for the activation of: a) cells, termed geon feature assemblies (GFAs), that conjoin the output of units that represent invariant, independent properties of a single geon and its relations (such as its type, aspect ratio, relations to other geons), or b) a change in the connection weights by which several GFAs activate a cell representing an object.

The nature of human rights

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Krivokapić Boris

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In the first part of the paper, the author points out that, unlike in the past, in our time human rights developed into a fair legal institution, and even a special system. They are formulated and protected both internally and internationally. The second part deals with the approach according to which human rights are part of the so-called. natural law. The author notes that the theory of natural law can not be accepted for many reasons. It is pure construction, which is far from reality, and besides it is unnecessary. Law and thus human rights as a part of it, is a social creation, developing along with the society itself, whereby, in the longer term, advanced norms in the matter of human rights replace obsolete ones. Life and human needs are the ones who impose such development. In the third part the writer notes that since under human rights one can have in mind various things, at least such a special concept and, on the other hand, specific rights, it is not possible to give a single answer to what is the nature of human rights. It is even harder as human rights, have a variety of dimensions - legal, philosophical, ideological, political, economic, social, educational, etc. However, he gives his view of the main characteristics of the modern concept of human rights. In the fourth part, the author notes that, speaking not about the concept, but human rights as such, their main characteristics are that they are: 1 source - belong to anyone on the grounds that he is a human being (general rights or a member specific vulnerable groups (special rights; 2 universal - belong to everyone or all members of vulnerable groups, without any discrimination based on personal characteristics, and on the other hand, the most important such rights shall be recognized in all states; 3 inalienable - one can not give up or else share his basic human rights, such as the right to life, the right to vote, etc.; 4 somewhat different - although, in principle, all

Nature of Human Rights

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Carlos López Dawson

2016-07-01

Full Text Available In the formation of a new Constitution the constituents will require to know or reach an agreement on the nature of human rights; then, to determine how the State will enforce the respect to those rights. To do so, it is necessary to resort to the history and evolution of these rights, and the present work aims to contribute to an efficient productive debate about the nature of human rights, so that citizens can decide on the understanding that this is a thoughtful democratic and humanistic founded decision. The analysis is in the actual technical-ideological republican system which correspond to the current state of international law

Cohomological invariants in Galois cohomology

CERN Document Server

Garibaldi, Skip; Serre, Jean Pierre

2003-01-01

This volume is concerned with algebraic invariants, such as the Stiefel-Whitney classes of quadratic forms (with values in Galois cohomology mod 2) and the trace form of �tale algebras (with values in the Witt ring). The invariants are analogues for Galois cohomology of the characteristic classes of topology. Historically, one of the first examples of cohomological invariants of the type considered here was the Hasse-Witt invariant of quadratic forms. The first part classifies such invariants in several cases. A principal tool is the notion of versal torsor, which is an analogue of the universal bundle in topology. The second part gives Rost's determination of the invariants of G-torsors with values in H^3(\\mathbb{Q}/\\mathbb{Z}(2)), when G is a semisimple, simply connected, linear group. This part gives detailed proofs of the existence and basic properties of the Rost invariant. This is the first time that most of this material appears in print.

Medicine as combining natural and human science.

Science.gov (United States)

Dreyfus, Hubert L

2011-08-01

Medicine is unique in being a combination of natural science and human science in which both are essential. Therefore, in order to make sense of medical practice, we need to begin by drawing a clear distinction between the natural and the human sciences. In this paper, I try to bring the old distinction between the Geistes and Naturwissenschaften up to date by defending the essential difference between a realist explanatory theoretical study of nature including the body in which the scientist discovers the causal properties of natural kinds and the interpretive understanding of human beings as embodied agents which, as Charles Taylor has convincingly argued, requires a hermeneutic account of self-interpreting human practices.

Decrease in scale invariance of activity fluctuations with aging and in patients with suprasellar tumors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Joustra, S. D.; Gu, C.; Rohling, J. H.T.

2018-01-01

-matched healthy controls (age range 21.0–70.6 years). Spontaneous wrist locomotor activity was measured for 7 days with actigraphy, and detrended fluctuation analysis was applied to assess correlations over a range of time scales from minutes to 24 h. For all the subjects, complex scale-invariant correlations...... scale invariance. Conversely, activity patterns at time scales between 10 and 24 h were significantly more regular than all other time scales, and this was mostly associated with age. In conclusion, scale invariance is degraded in healthy subjects at the ages of >33 year as characterized by attenuation......Motor activity in healthy young humans displays intrinsic fluctuations that are scale-invariant over a wide range of time scales (from minutes to hours). Human postmortem and animal lesion studies showed that the intact function of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is required to maintain...

Cosmological disformal invariance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Domènech, Guillem; Sasaki, Misao [Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan); Naruko, Atsushi, E-mail: guillem.domenech@yukawa.kyoto-u.ac.jp, E-mail: naruko@th.phys.titech.ac.jp, E-mail: misao@yukawa.kyoto-u.ac.jp [Department of Physics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8551 (Japan)

2015-10-01

The invariance of physical observables under disformal transformations is considered. It is known that conformal transformations leave physical observables invariant. However, whether it is true for disformal transformations is still an open question. In this paper, it is shown that a pure disformal transformation without any conformal factor is equivalent to rescaling the time coordinate. Since this rescaling applies equally to all the physical quantities, physics must be invariant under a disformal transformation, that is, neither causal structure, propagation speed nor any other property of the fields are affected by a disformal transformation itself. This fact is presented at the action level for gravitational and matter fields and it is illustrated with some examples of observable quantities. We also find the physical invariance for cosmological perturbations at linear and high orders in perturbation, extending previous studies. Finally, a comparison with Horndeski and beyond Horndeski theories under a disformal transformation is made.

Donaldson invariants in algebraic geometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goettsche, L.

2000-01-01

In these lectures I want to give an introduction to the relation of Donaldson invariants with algebraic geometry: Donaldson invariants are differentiable invariants of smooth compact 4-manifolds X, defined via moduli spaces of anti-self-dual connections. If X is an algebraic surface, then these moduli spaces can for a suitable choice of the metric be identified with moduli spaces of stable vector bundles on X. This can be used to compute Donaldson invariants via methods of algebraic geometry and has led to a lot of activity on moduli spaces of vector bundles and coherent sheaves on algebraic surfaces. We will first recall the definition of the Donaldson invariants via gauge theory. Then we will show the relation between moduli spaces of anti-self-dual connections and moduli spaces of vector bundles on algebraic surfaces, and how this makes it possible to compute Donaldson invariants via algebraic geometry methods. Finally we concentrate on the case that the number b + of positive eigenvalues of the intersection form on the second homology of the 4-manifold is 1. In this case the Donaldson invariants depend on the metric (or in the algebraic geometric case on the polarization) via a system of walls and chambers. We will study the change of the invariants under wall-crossing, and use this in particular to compute the Donaldson invariants of rational algebraic surfaces. (author)

Moment invariants for particle beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lysenko, W.P.; Overley, M.S.

1988-01-01

The rms emittance is a certain function of second moments in 2-D phase space. It is preserved for linear uncoupled (1-D) motion. In this paper, the authors present new functions of moments that are invariants for coupled motion. These invariants were computed symbolically using a computer algebra system. Possible applications for these invariants are discussed. Also, approximate moment invariants for nonlinear motion are presented

Invariant NKT cells: regulation and function during viral infection.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer A Juno

Full Text Available Natural killer T cells (NKT cells represent a subset of T lymphocytes that express natural killer (NK cell surface markers. A subset of NKT cells, termed invariant NKT cells (iNKT, express a highly restricted T cell receptor (TCR and respond to CD1d-restricted lipid ligands. iNKT cells are now appreciated to play an important role in linking innate and adaptive immune responses and have been implicated in infectious disease, allergy, asthma, autoimmunity, and tumor surveillance. Advances in iNKT identification and purification have allowed for the detailed study of iNKT activity in both humans and mice during a variety of chronic and acute infections. Comparison of iNKT function between non-pathogenic simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV infection models and chronic HIV-infected patients implies a role for iNKT activity in controlling immune activation. In vitro studies of influenza infection have revealed novel effector functions of iNKT cells including IL-22 production and modulation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells, but ex vivo characterization of human iNKT cells during influenza infection are lacking. Similarly, as recent evidence suggests iNKT involvement in dengue virus pathogenesis, iNKT cells may modulate responses to a number of emerging pathogens. This Review will summarize current knowledge of iNKT involvement in responses to viral infections in both human and mouse models and will identify critical gaps in knowledge and opportunities for future study. We will also highlight recent efforts to harness iNKT ligands as vaccine adjuvants capable of improving vaccination-induced cellular immune responses.

Cultivating human nature

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Derksen, Maarten

2007-01-01

Evolutionary psychology claims to offer a unified perspective on human nature and culture, which can serve to further the integration of psychology and the social sciences. I describe four approaches to evolutionary psychology, and note increasing attention to the agency of the individual in

Feedback-Driven Dynamic Invariant Discovery

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lingming; Yang, Guowei; Rungta, Neha S.; Person, Suzette; Khurshid, Sarfraz

2014-01-01

Program invariants can help software developers identify program properties that must be preserved as the software evolves, however, formulating correct invariants can be challenging. In this work, we introduce iDiscovery, a technique which leverages symbolic execution to improve the quality of dynamically discovered invariants computed by Daikon. Candidate invariants generated by Daikon are synthesized into assertions and instrumented onto the program. The instrumented code is executed symbolically to generate new test cases that are fed back to Daikon to help further re ne the set of candidate invariants. This feedback loop is executed until a x-point is reached. To mitigate the cost of symbolic execution, we present optimizations to prune the symbolic state space and to reduce the complexity of the generated path conditions. We also leverage recent advances in constraint solution reuse techniques to avoid computing results for the same constraints across iterations. Experimental results show that iDiscovery converges to a set of higher quality invariants compared to the initial set of candidate invariants in a small number of iterations.

Perception of biological motion from size-invariant body representations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Markus eLappe

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The visual recognition of action is one of the socially most important and computationally demanding capacities of the human visual system. It combines visual shape recognition with complex non-rigid motion perception. Action presented as a point-light animation is a striking visual experience for anyone who sees it for the first time. Information about the shape and posture of the human body is sparse in point-light animations, but it is essential for action recognition. In the posturo-temporal filter model of biological motion perception posture information is picked up by visual neurons tuned to the form of the human body before body motion is calculated. We tested whether point-light stimuli are processed through posture recognition of the human body form by using a typical feature of form recognition, namely size invariance. We constructed a point-light stimulus that can only be perceived through a size-invariant mechanism. This stimulus changes rapidly in size from one image to the next. It thus disrupts continuity of early visuo-spatial properties but maintains continuity of the body posture representation. Despite this massive manipulation at the visuo-spatial level, size-changing point-light figures are spontaneously recognized by naive observers, and support discrimination of human body motion.

Relating measurement invariance, cross-level invariance, and multilevel reliability

OpenAIRE

Jak, S.; Jorgensen, T.D.

2017-01-01

Data often have a nested, multilevel structure, for example when data are collected from children in classrooms. This kind of data complicate the evaluation of reliability and measurement invariance, because several properties can be evaluated at both the individual level and the cluster level, as well as across levels. For example, cross-level invariance implies equal factor loadings across levels, which is needed to give latent variables at the two levels a similar interpretation. Reliabili...

Cognitive Invariants of Geographic Event Conceptualization: What Matters and What Refines?

Science.gov (United States)

Klippel, Alexander; Li, Rui; Hardisty, Frank; Weaver, Chris

Behavioral experiments addressing the conceptualization of geographic events are few and far between. Our research seeks to address this deficiency by developing an experimental framework on the conceptualization of movement patterns. In this paper, we report on a critical experiment that is designed to shed light on the question of cognitively salient invariants in such conceptualization. Invariants have been identified as being critical to human information processing, particularly for the processing of dynamic information. In our experiment, we systematically address cognitive invariants of one class of geographic events: single entity movement patterns. To this end, we designed 72 animated icons that depict the movement patterns of hurricanes around two invariants: size difference and topological equivalence class movement patterns endpoints. While the endpoint hypothesis, put forth by Regier (2007), claims a particular focus of human cognition to ending relations of events, other research suggests that simplicity principles guide categorization and, additionally, that static information is easier to process than dynamic information. Our experiments show a clear picture: Size matters. Nonetheless, we also find categorization behaviors consistent with experiments in both the spatial and temporal domain, namely that topology refines these behaviors and that topological equivalence classes are categorized consistently. These results are critical steppingstones in validating spatial formalism from a cognitive perspective and cognitively grounding work on ontologies.

Foliated vector fields, the Godbillon-Vey invariant and the invariant I(F)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banyaga, A.; Landa, Alain Musesa

2004-03-01

We prove that if the invariant I(F) constructed in 'An invariant of contact structures and transversally oriented foliations', Ann. Global Analysis and Geom. 14(1996) 427-441 (A. Banyaga), through the Lie algebra of infinitesimal automorphisms of transversally oriented foliations F is trivial, then the Godbillon-Vey invariant GV (F) of F is also trivial, but that the converse is not true. For codimension one foliations, the restrictions I τ , (F) of I(F) to the Lie subalgebra of vector fields tangent to the leaves is the Reeb class R(F) of F. We also prove that if there exists a foliated vector field which is everywhere transverse to a codimension one foliation, then the Reeb class R(F) is trivial, hence so is the GV(F) invariant. (author)

A Business-Relevant View of Human Nature

OpenAIRE

Mitreanu, Cristian

2007-01-01

The article, "A Business-Relevant View of Human Nature," provides a new theory of human nature, and aims to bring it to the center of our understanding of business, or commerce, creating a strong foundation for new business and economic principles and practices. The article has three parts. In the first section, the author identifies and discusses the fundamental drives that characterize all forms of life. Building upon these findings, he then develops the unique view of human nature in the s...

Gauge invariance rediscovered

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moriyasu, K.

1978-01-01

A pedagogical approach to gauge invariance is presented which is based on the analogy between gauge transformations and relativity. By using the concept of an internal space, purely geometrical arguments are used to teach the physical ideas behind gauge invariance. Many of the results are applicable to general gauge theories

The Yin and Yang of Invariant Natural Killer T Cells in Tumor Immunity—Suppression of Tumor Immunity in the Intestine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ying Wang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available CD1d-restricted invariant natural killer T (iNKT cells are known as early responding, potent regulatory cells of immune responses. Besides their established role in the regulation of inflammation and autoimmune disease, numerous studies have shown that iNKT cells have important functions in tumor immunosurveillance and control of tumor metastasis. Tumor-infiltrating T helper 1 (TH1/cytotoxic T lymphocytes have been associated with a positive prognosis. However, inflammation has a dual role in cancer and chronic inflammation is believed to be a driving force in many cancers as exemplified in patients with inflammatory bowel disease that have an increased risk of colorectal cancer. Indeed, NKT cells promote intestinal inflammation in human ulcerative colitis, and the associated animal model, indicating that NKT cells may favor tumor development in intestinal tissue. In contrast to other cancers, recent data from animal models suggest that iNKT cells promote tumor formation in the intestine by supporting an immunoregulatory tumor microenvironment and suppressing TH1 antitumor immunity. Here, we review the role of iNKT cells in suppression of tumor immunity in light of iNKT-cell regulation of intestinal inflammation. We also discuss suppression of immunity in other situations as well as factors that may influence whether iNKT cells have a protective or an immunosuppressive and tumor-promoting role in tumor immunity.

Link invariants from finite Coxeter racks

OpenAIRE

Nelson, Sam; Wieghard, Ryan

2008-01-01

We study Coxeter racks over $\\mathbb{Z}_n$ and the knot and link invariants they define. We exploit the module structure of these racks to enhance the rack counting invariants and give examples showing that these enhanced invariants are stronger than the unenhanced rack counting invariants.

Absolutely relative or relatively absolute: violations of value invariance in human decision making.

Science.gov (United States)

Teodorescu, Andrei R; Moran, Rani; Usher, Marius

2016-02-01

Making decisions based on relative rather than absolute information processing is tied to choice optimality via the accumulation of evidence differences and to canonical neural processing via accumulation of evidence ratios. These theoretical frameworks predict invariance of decision latencies to absolute intensities that maintain differences and ratios, respectively. While information about the absolute values of the choice alternatives is not necessary for choosing the best alternative, it may nevertheless hold valuable information about the context of the decision. To test the sensitivity of human decision making to absolute values, we manipulated the intensities of brightness stimuli pairs while preserving either their differences or their ratios. Although asked to choose the brighter alternative relative to the other, participants responded faster to higher absolute values. Thus, our results provide empirical evidence for human sensitivity to task irrelevant absolute values indicating a hard-wired mechanism that precedes executive control. Computational investigations of several modelling architectures reveal two alternative accounts for this phenomenon, which combine absolute and relative processing. One account involves accumulation of differences with activation dependent processing noise and the other emerges from accumulation of absolute values subject to the temporal dynamics of lateral inhibition. The potential adaptive role of such choice mechanisms is discussed.

Critical Role for Very-Long Chain Sphingolipids in Invariant Natural Killer T Cell Development and Homeostasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Saroha, Ashish; Pewzner-Jung, Yael; Ferreira, Natalia S; Sharma, Piyush; Jouan, Youenn; Kelly, Samuel L; Feldmesser, Ester; Merrill, Alfred H; Trottein, François; Paget, Christophe; Lang, Karl S; Futerman, Anthony H

2017-01-01

The role of sphingolipids (SLs) in the immune system has come under increasing scrutiny recently due to the emerging contributions that these important membrane components play in regulating a variety of immunological processes. The acyl chain length of SLs appears particularly critical in determining SL function. Here, we show a role for very-long acyl chain SLs (VLC-SLs) in invariant natural killer T ( i NKT) cell maturation in the thymus and homeostasis in the liver. Ceramide synthase 2-null mice, which lack VLC-SLs, were susceptible to a hepatotropic strain of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, which is due to a reduction in the number of i NKT cells. Bone marrow chimera experiments indicated that hematopoietic-derived VLC-SLs are essential for maturation of i NKT cells in the thymus, whereas parenchymal-derived VLC-SLs are crucial for i NKT cell survival and maintenance in the liver. Our findings suggest a critical role for VLC-SL in i NKT cell physiology.

Human invariant NKT cell subsets differentially promote differentiation, antibody production, and T cell stimulation by B cells in vitro.

OpenAIRE

O'REILLY, VINCENT

2013-01-01

PUBLISHED Invariant NK T (iNKT) cells can provide help for B cell activation and Ab production. Because B cells are also capable of cytokine production, Ag presentation, and T cell activation, we hypothesized that iNKT cells will also influence these activities. Furthermore, subsets of iNKT cells based on CD4 and CD8 expression that have distinct functional activities may differentially affect B cell functions. We investigated the effects of coculturing expanded human CD4(+), CD8α(+), and ...

Rotation Invariance Neural Network

OpenAIRE

Li, Shiyuan

2017-01-01

Rotation invariance and translation invariance have great values in image recognition tasks. In this paper, we bring a new architecture in convolutional neural network (CNN) named cyclic convolutional layer to achieve rotation invariance in 2-D symbol recognition. We can also get the position and orientation of the 2-D symbol by the network to achieve detection purpose for multiple non-overlap target. Last but not least, this architecture can achieve one-shot learning in some cases using thos...

Lorentz invariance with an invariant energy scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Magueijo, João; Smolin, Lee

2002-05-13

We propose a modification of special relativity in which a physical energy, which may be the Planck energy, joins the speed of light as an invariant, in spite of a complete relativity of inertial frames and agreement with Einstein's theory at low energies. This is accomplished by a nonlinear modification of the action of the Lorentz group on momentum space, generated by adding a dilatation to each boost in such a way that the Planck energy remains invariant. The associated algebra has unmodified structure constants. We also discuss the resulting modifications of field theory and suggest a modification of the equivalence principle which determines how the new theory is embedded in general relativity.

Natural disasters and human mobility

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mbaye, L.; Zimmermann, K.

2016-01-01

This paper reviews the effect of natural disasters on human mobility or migration. Although there is an increase of natural disasters and migration recently and more patterns to observe, the relationship remains complex. While some authors find that disasters increase migration, others show that

Scale invariance from phase transitions to turbulence

CERN Document Server

Lesne, Annick

2012-01-01

During a century, from the Van der Waals mean field description (1874) of gases to the introduction of renormalization group (RG techniques 1970), thermodynamics and statistical physics were just unable to account for the incredible universality which was observed in numerous critical phenomena. The great success of RG techniques is not only to solve perfectly this challenge of critical behaviour in thermal transitions but to introduce extremely useful tools in a wide field of daily situations where a system exhibits scale invariance. The introduction of scaling, scale invariance and universality concepts has been a significant turn in modern physics and more generally in natural sciences. Since then, a new "physics of scaling laws and critical exponents", rooted in scaling approaches, allows quantitative descriptions of numerous phenomena, ranging from phase transitions to earthquakes, polymer conformations, heartbeat rhythm, diffusion, interface growth and roughening, DNA sequence, dynamical systems, chaos ...

Human economy and natural economy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masullo Andrea

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The decline of economy is due to its dependency from a virtual value, the currency, the coin, that in the recent phase of consumerism is so far from real value: human capital and natural capital. If human economy wants to continue to produce wellbeing, it must accept to be a subset of natural economy, intercept flux of matter produced by its circular mechanisms, put constraints in it, i.e. machines and structures, to direct it temporarily for our advantage, and finally release it to the same original flux, in an still usable state. In this way it will assume a function no more parasitic but symbiotic. It will be connected to natural cycles without destroying it, recovering the co-evolutionary link between nature and culture, building an economic web suited to the ecological web; thus we will have a mosaic characterised by biodiversity, technological diversity, and cultural diversity, able to produce a durable prosperity.

The Dynamical Invariant of Open Quantum System

OpenAIRE

Wu, S. L.; Zhang, X. Y.; Yi, X. X.

2015-01-01

The dynamical invariant, whose expectation value is constant, is generalized to open quantum system. The evolution equation of dynamical invariant (the dynamical invariant condition) is presented for Markovian dynamics. Different with the dynamical invariant for the closed quantum system, the evolution of the dynamical invariant for the open quantum system is no longer unitary, and the eigenvalues of it are time-dependent. Since any hermitian operator fulfilling dynamical invariant condition ...

Synthesizing Modular Invariants for Synchronous Code

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Pierre-Loic Garoche

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we explore different techniques to synthesize modular invariants for synchronous code encoded as Horn clauses. Modular invariants are a set of formulas that characterizes the validity of predicates. They are very useful for different aspects of analysis, synthesis, testing and program transformation. We describe two techniques to generate modular invariants for code written in the synchronous dataflow language Lustre. The first technique directly encodes the synchronous code in a modular fashion. While in the second technique, we synthesize modular invariants starting from a monolithic invariant. Both techniques, take advantage of analysis techniques based on property-directed reachability. We also describe a technique to minimize the synthesized invariants.

On asymptotics and resurgent structures of enumerative Gromov-Witten invariants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Couso-Santamaria, Ricardo; Schiappa, Ricardo; Geneve Univ.; Vaz, Ricardo; DESY Hamburg

2016-05-01

Making use of large-order techniques in asymptotics and resurgent analysis, this work addresses the growth of enumerative Gromov-Witten invariants - in their dependence upon genus and degree of the embedded curve - for several different threefold Calabi-Yau toric-varieties. In particular, while the leading asymptotics of these invariants at large genus or at large degree is exponential, at combined large genus and degree it turns out to be factorial. This factorial growth has a resurgent nature, originating via mirror symmetry from the resurgent-transseries description of the B-model free energy. This implies the existence of nonperturbative sectors controlling the asymptotics of the Gromov-Witten invariants, which could themselves have an enumerative-geometry interpretation. The examples addressed include: the resolved conifold; the local surfaces local P 2 and local P 1 x P 1 ; the local curves and Hurwitz theory; and the compact quintic. All examples suggest very rich interplays between resurgent asymptotics and enumerative problems in algebraic geometry.

On asymptotics and resurgent structures of enumerative Gromov-Witten invariants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Couso-Santamaria, Ricardo [Lisboa Univ. (Portugal). Inst. Superior Tecnico (IST); Schiappa, Ricardo [Lisboa Univ. (Portugal). Inst. Superior Tecnico (IST); Geneve Univ. (Switzerland). Dept. de Physique Theoretique et Section de Mathematiques; Vaz, Ricardo [Lisboa Univ. (Portugal). Inst. Superior Tecnico (IST); DESY Hamburg (Germany). Theory Group

2016-05-15

Making use of large-order techniques in asymptotics and resurgent analysis, this work addresses the growth of enumerative Gromov-Witten invariants - in their dependence upon genus and degree of the embedded curve - for several different threefold Calabi-Yau toric-varieties. In particular, while the leading asymptotics of these invariants at large genus or at large degree is exponential, at combined large genus and degree it turns out to be factorial. This factorial growth has a resurgent nature, originating via mirror symmetry from the resurgent-transseries description of the B-model free energy. This implies the existence of nonperturbative sectors controlling the asymptotics of the Gromov-Witten invariants, which could themselves have an enumerative-geometry interpretation. The examples addressed include: the resolved conifold; the local surfaces local P{sup 2} and local P{sup 1} x P{sup 1}; the local curves and Hurwitz theory; and the compact quintic. All examples suggest very rich interplays between resurgent asymptotics and enumerative problems in algebraic geometry.

Rotation-invariant features for multi-oriented text detection in natural images.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cong Yao

Full Text Available Texts in natural scenes carry rich semantic information, which can be used to assist a wide range of applications, such as object recognition, image/video retrieval, mapping/navigation, and human computer interaction. However, most existing systems are designed to detect and recognize horizontal (or near-horizontal texts. Due to the increasing popularity of mobile-computing devices and applications, detecting texts of varying orientations from natural images under less controlled conditions has become an important but challenging task. In this paper, we propose a new algorithm to detect texts of varying orientations. Our algorithm is based on a two-level classification scheme and two sets of features specially designed for capturing the intrinsic characteristics of texts. To better evaluate the proposed method and compare it with the competing algorithms, we generate a comprehensive dataset with various types of texts in diverse real-world scenes. We also propose a new evaluation protocol, which is more suitable for benchmarking algorithms for detecting texts in varying orientations. Experiments on benchmark datasets demonstrate that our system compares favorably with the state-of-the-art algorithms when handling horizontal texts and achieves significantly enhanced performance on variant texts in complex natural scenes.

Hidden scale invariance of metals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hummel, Felix; Kresse, Georg; Dyre, Jeppe C.

2015-01-01

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations of 58 liquid elements at their triple point show that most metals exhibit near proportionality between the thermal fluctuations of the virial and the potential energy in the isochoric ensemble. This demonstrates a general “hidden” scale invariance...... of metals making the condensed part of the thermodynamic phase diagram effectively one dimensional with respect to structure and dynamics. DFT computed density scaling exponents, related to the Grüneisen parameter, are in good agreement with experimental values for the 16 elements where reliable data were...... available. Hidden scale invariance is demonstrated in detail for magnesium by showing invariance of structure and dynamics. Computed melting curves of period three metals follow curves with invariance (isomorphs). The experimental structure factor of magnesium is predicted by assuming scale invariant...

Charge conjugation invariance of the spectator equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gross, F.

1999-01-01

In response to recent criticism, the authors show how to define the spectator equations for negative energies so that charge conjugation invariance is preserved. The result, which emerges naturally from the application of spectator principles to systems of particles with negative energies, is to replace all factors of the external energies W iota by √ W 2 iota , insuring that the amplitudes are independent of the sign of the energies W iota

Formation of Human Subjectivity in Psychological Interactions with Nature

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S A Mudrak

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The article outlines the current trends in the environmental psychological research of the peculiarities of developing the subject-subjective human relationship with nature: considering human habitat environment as a set of natural objects; studying certain natural sites as psychologically attributive elements of the environment; determining the psychological meaning of the «Human Habitat Environment»; giving the analysis of the problem of the subjectivity development in human interaction with the natural objects.

Reducing Lookups for Invariant Checking

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Jakob Grauenkjær; Clausen, Christian; Andersen, Kristoffer Just

2013-01-01

This paper helps reduce the cost of invariant checking in cases where access to data is expensive. Assume that a set of variables satisfy a given invariant and a request is received to update a subset of them. We reduce the set of variables to inspect, in order to verify that the invariant is still...

View Invariant Gesture Recognition using 3D Motion Primitives

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holte, Michael Boelstoft; Moeslund, Thomas B.

2008-01-01

This paper presents a method for automatic recognition of human gestures. The method works with 3D image data from a range camera to achieve invariance to viewpoint. The recognition is based solely on motion from characteristic instances of the gestures. These instances are denoted 3D motion...

Algorithms in invariant theory

CERN Document Server

Sturmfels, Bernd

2008-01-01

J. Kung and G.-C. Rota, in their 1984 paper, write: "Like the Arabian phoenix rising out of its ashes, the theory of invariants, pronounced dead at the turn of the century, is once again at the forefront of mathematics". The book of Sturmfels is both an easy-to-read textbook for invariant theory and a challenging research monograph that introduces a new approach to the algorithmic side of invariant theory. The Groebner bases method is the main tool by which the central problems in invariant theory become amenable to algorithmic solutions. Students will find the book an easy introduction to this "classical and new" area of mathematics. Researchers in mathematics, symbolic computation, and computer science will get access to a wealth of research ideas, hints for applications, outlines and details of algorithms, worked out examples, and research problems.

A natural human hand model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Nierop, O.A.; Van der Helm, A.; Overbeeke, K.J.; Djajadiningrat, T.J.P.

2007-01-01

We present a skeletal linked model of the human hand that has natural motion. We show how this can be achieved by introducing a new biology-based joint axis that simulates natural joint motion and a set of constraints that reduce an estimated 150 possible motions to twelve. The model is based on

Retinoic acid induction of CD1d expression primes chronic lymphocytic leukemia B cells for killing by CD8+ invariant natural killer T cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghnewa, Yasmeen G; O'Reilly, Vincent P; Vandenberghe, Elisabeth; Browne, Paul V; McElligott, Anthony M; Doherty, Derek G

2017-10-01

Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are cytotoxic T cells that respond to glycolipid antigens presented by CD1d. Therapeutic activation of iNKT cells with α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer) can prevent and reverse tumor growth in mice and clinical trials involving α-GalCer-stimulated iNKT cells are ongoing in humans. B cells express CD1d, however, we show that CD1d expression is reduced on B cells from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). B cells from CLL patients pulsed with α-GalCer failed to stimulate cytolytic degranulation by iNKT cell lines, but could present the more potent glycolipid analogue, 7DW8-5. Retinoic acid receptor-α (RAR-α) agonists induced CD1d expression by CLL B cells, restoring their ability to present α-GalCer to CD8α + iNKT cells, resulting in cytolytic degranulation. Thus, RAR-α agonists can augment the anti-tumor activities of iNKT cells against CLL cells in vitro. Their inclusion in iNKT cell-based therapies may benefit patients with CLL. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cartan invariants and event horizon detection

Science.gov (United States)

Brooks, D.; Chavy-Waddy, P. C.; Coley, A. A.; Forget, A.; Gregoris, D.; MacCallum, M. A. H.; McNutt, D. D.

2018-04-01

We show that it is possible to locate the event horizon of a black hole (in arbitrary dimensions) by the zeros of certain Cartan invariants. This approach accounts for the recent results on the detection of stationary horizons using scalar polynomial curvature invariants, and improves upon them since the proposed method is computationally less expensive. As an application, we produce Cartan invariants that locate the event horizons for various exact four-dimensional and five-dimensional stationary, asymptotically flat (or (anti) de Sitter), black hole solutions and compare the Cartan invariants with the corresponding scalar curvature invariants that detect the event horizon.

Odor concentration invariance by chemical ratio coding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naoshige Uchida

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Many animal species rely on chemical signals to extract ecologically important information from the environment. Yet in natural conditions chemical signals will frequently undergo concentration changes that produce differences in both level and pattern of activation of olfactory receptor neurons. Thus, a central problem in olfactory processing is how the system is able to recognize the same stimulus across different concentrations. To signal species identity for mate recognition, some insects use the ratio of two components in a binary chemical mixture to produce a code that is invariant to dilution. Here, using psychophysical methods, we show that rats also classify binary odor mixtures according to the molar ratios of their components, spontaneously generalizing over at least a tenfold concentration range. These results indicate that extracting chemical ratio information is not restricted to pheromone signaling and suggest a general solution for concentration-invariant odor recognition by the mammalian olfactory system.

Functional CD1d and/or NKT cell invariant chain transcript in horse, pig, African elephant and guinea pig, but not in ruminants.

Science.gov (United States)

Looringh van Beeck, Frank A; Reinink, Peter; Hermsen, Roel; Zajonc, Dirk M; Laven, Marielle J; Fun, Axel; Troskie, Milana; Schoemaker, Nico J; Morar, Darshana; Lenstra, Johannes A; Vervelde, Lonneke; Rutten, Victor P M G; van Eden, Willem; Van Rhijn, Ildiko

2009-04-01

CD1d-restricted invariant natural killer T cells (NKT cells) have been well characterized in humans and mice, but it is unknown whether they are present in other species. Here we describe the invariant TCR alpha chain and the full length CD1d transcript of pig and horse. Molecular modeling predicts that porcine (po) invariant TCR alpha chain/poCD1d/alpha-GalCer and equine (eq) invariant TCR alpha chain/eqCD1d/alpha-GalCer form complexes that are highly homologous to the human complex. Since a prerequisite for the presence of NKT cells is the expression of CD1d protein, we performed searches for CD1D genes and CD1d transcripts in multiple species. Previously, cattle and guinea pig have been suggested to lack CD1D genes. The CD1D genes of European taurine cattle (Bos taurus) are known to be pseudogenes because of disrupting mutations in the start codon and in the donor splice site of the first intron. Here we show that the same mutations are found in six other ruminants: African buffalo, sheep, bushbuck, bongo, N'Dama cattle, and roe deer. In contrast, intact CD1d transcripts were found in guinea pig, African elephant, horse, rabbit, and pig. Despite the discovery of a highly homologous NKT/CD1d system in pig and horse, our data suggest that functional CD1D and CD1d-restricted NKT cells are not universally present in mammals.

Mass generation within conformal invariant theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flato, M.; Guenin, M.

1981-01-01

The massless Yang-Mills theory is strongly conformally invariant and renormalizable; however, when masses are introduced the theory becomes nonrenormalizable and weakly conformally invariant. Conditions which recover strong conformal invariance are discussed in the letter. (author)

The Invariance and the General CCT Theorems

OpenAIRE

Stancu, Alin

2010-01-01

The \\begin{it} Invariance Theorem \\end{it} of M. Gerstenhaber and S. D. Schack states that if $\\mathbb{A}$ is a diagram of algebras then the subdivision functor induces a natural isomorphism between the Yoneda cohomologies of the category $\\mathbb{A}$-$\\mathbf{mod}$ and its subdivided category $\\mathbb{A}'$-$\\mathbf{mod}$. In this paper we generalize this result and show that the subdivision functor is a full and faithful functor between two suitable derived categories of $\\mathbb{A}$-$\\mathb...

The visual system supports online translation invariance for object identification.

Science.gov (United States)

Bowers, Jeffrey S; Vankov, Ivan I; Ludwig, Casimir J H

2016-04-01

The ability to recognize the same image projected to different retinal locations is critical for visual object recognition in natural contexts. According to many theories, the translation invariance for objects extends only to trained retinal locations, so that a familiar object projected to a nontrained location should not be identified. In another approach, invariance is achieved "online," such that learning to identify an object in one location immediately affords generalization to other locations. We trained participants to name novel objects at one retinal location using eyetracking technology and then tested their ability to name the same images presented at novel retinal locations. Across three experiments, we found robust generalization. These findings provide a strong constraint for theories of vision.

Coordinate-invariant regularization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halpern, M.B.

1987-01-01

A general phase-space framework for coordinate-invariant regularization is given. The development is geometric, with all regularization contained in regularized DeWitt Superstructures on field deformations. Parallel development of invariant coordinate-space regularization is obtained by regularized functional integration of the momenta. As representative examples of the general formulation, the regularized general non-linear sigma model and regularized quantum gravity are discussed. copyright 1987 Academic Press, Inc

The historical character of human nature in Freud's theories.

Science.gov (United States)

Zilbersheid, Uri

2013-06-01

In Freud' theories of human development, human nature is described and analyzed as essentially historical. At the core of human history is the restructuring of the sexual instinct and the death instinct (or its unique form as destructive impulses). The conscious, asked-for shaping of these two instincts, under the rule of the "reality principle", forms the basis of human society at all stages. This conscious restructuring has also unintended, unasked-for results, which are part of the historically developing human nature. The historical choice has been the building of human society as a social complex based on the de-eroticization of both the individual and society. Freud suggested that the historical process of changing human nature and maintaining the achieved new structure has mainly been an enterprise of enlightened political elite, which has imposed (in all societies) the various elements of the new nature upon the ordinary people. Human history is essentially a deed of the political sphere. In viewing human nature as consisting of both asked-for and unasked-for results of human conscious purposeful activity Freud belongs to the same historical school as Marx.

Solution to the hierarchy problem from an almost decoupled hidden sector within a classically scale invariant theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foot, Robert; Kobakhidze, Archil; Volkas, Raymond R.; McDonald, Kristian L.

2008-01-01

If scale invariance is a classical symmetry then both the Planck scale and the weak scale should emerge as quantum effects. We show that this can be realized in simple scale invariant theories with a hidden sector. The weak/Planck scale hierarchy emerges in the (technically natural) limit in which the hidden sector decouples from the ordinary sector. In this limit, finite corrections to the weak scale are consequently small, while quadratic divergences are absent by virtue of classical scale invariance, so there is no hierarchy problem

Essential Building Blocks of Human Nature

CERN Document Server

Frey, Ulrich J; Willführ, Kai P

2011-01-01

To understand why we humans are as we are, it is necessary to look at the essential building blocks that comprise our nature. The foundations of this structure are our evolutionary origins as primates and our social roots. Upon these rest features such as our emotions, language and aesthetic preferences, with our self-perceptions, self-deceptions and thirst for knowledge right at the top. The unifying force holding these blocks together is evolutionary theory. Evolution provides a deeper understanding of human nature and, in particular, of the common roots of these different perspectives. To build a reliable and coherent model of man, leading authors from fields as diverse as primatology, anthropology, neurobiology and philosophy have joined forces to present essays  each describing their own expert perspective. Together they provide a convincing and complete picture of our own human nature.

Invariant sets for Windows

CERN Document Server

Morozov, Albert D; Dragunov, Timothy N; Malysheva, Olga V

1999-01-01

This book deals with the visualization and exploration of invariant sets (fractals, strange attractors, resonance structures, patterns etc.) for various kinds of nonlinear dynamical systems. The authors have created a special Windows 95 application called WInSet, which allows one to visualize the invariant sets. A WInSet installation disk is enclosed with the book.The book consists of two parts. Part I contains a description of WInSet and a list of the built-in invariant sets which can be plotted using the program. This part is intended for a wide audience with interests ranging from dynamical

Theorising Learning and Nature: Post-Human Possibilities and Problems

Science.gov (United States)

Quinn, Jocey

2013-01-01

In their predominantly theoretical turn to the material, post-humanist feminists often focus on "nature", arguing that the nature/culture binary has collapsed and that fixed distinctions between human and non-human spheres no longer hold. Conversely, outdoor learning sees nature as a space where humans act and has been more concerned…

Late-time acceleration and phantom divide line crossing with non-minimal coupling and Lorentz-invariance violation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nozari, Kourosh; Sadatian, S.D.

2008-01-01

We consider two alternative dark-energy models: a Lorentz-invariance preserving model with a non-minimally coupled scalar field and a Lorentz-invariance violating model with a minimally coupled scalar field. We study accelerated expansion and the dynamics of the equation of state parameter in these scenarios. While a minimally coupled scalar field does not have the capability to be a successful dark-energy candidate with line crossing of the cosmological constant, a non-minimally coupled scalar field in the presence of Lorentz invariance or a minimally coupled scalar field with Lorentz-invariance violation have this capability. In the latter case, accelerated expansion and phantom divide line crossing are the results of the interactive nature of this Lorentz-violating scenario. (orig.)

Differential Recognition of CD1d-[alpha]-Galactosyl Ceramide by the V[beta]8.2 and V[beta]7 Semi-invariant NKT T Cell Receptors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pellicci, Daniel G.; Patel, Onisha; Kjer-Nielsen, Lars; Pang, Siew Siew; Sullivan, Lucy C.; Kyparissoudis, Konstantinos; Brooks, Andrew G.; Reid, Hugh H.; Gras, Stephanie; Lucet, Isabelle S.; Koh, Ruide; Smyth, Mark J.; Mallevaey, Thierry; Matsuda, Jennifer L.; Gapin, Laurent; McCluskey, James; Godfrey, Dale I.; Rossjohn, Jamie; PMCI-A; Monash; UCHSC; Melbourne

2009-09-02

The semi-invariant natural killer T cell receptor (NKT TCR) recognizes CD1d-lipid antigens. Although the TCR{alpha} chain is typically invariant, the {beta} chain expression is more diverse, where three V{beta} chains are commonly expressed in mice. We report the structures of V{alpha}14-V{beta}8.2 and V{alpha}14-V{beta}7 NKT TCRs in complex with CD1d-{alpha}-galactosylceramide ({alpha}-GalCer) and the 2.5 {angstrom} structure of the human NKT TCR-CD1d-{alpha}-GalCer complex. Both V{beta}8.2 and V{beta}7 NKT TCRs and the human NKT TCR ligated CD1d-{alpha}-GalCer in a similar manner, highlighting the evolutionarily conserved interaction. However, differences within the V{beta} domains of the V{beta}8.2 and V{beta}7 NKT TCR-CD1d complexes resulted in altered TCR{beta}-CD1d-mediated contacts and modulated recognition mediated by the invariant {alpha} chain. Mutagenesis studies revealed the differing contributions of V{beta}8.2 and V{beta}7 residues within the CDR2{beta} loop in mediating contacts with CD1d. Collectively we provide a structural basis for the differential NKT TCR V{beta} usage in NKT cells.

Adipose tissue invariant NKT cells protect against diet-induced obesity and metabolic disorder through regulatory cytokine production.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Lynch, Lydia

2012-09-21

Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are evolutionarily conserved innate T cells that influence inflammatory responses. We have shown that iNKT cells, previously thought to be rare in humans, were highly enriched in human and murine adipose tissue, and that as adipose tissue expanded in obesity, iNKT cells were depleted, correlating with proinflammatory macrophage infiltration. iNKT cell numbers were restored in mice and humans after weight loss. Mice lacking iNKT cells had enhanced weight gain, larger adipocytes, fatty livers, and insulin resistance on a high-fat diet. Adoptive transfer of iNKT cells into obese mice or in vivo activation of iNKT cells via their lipid ligand, alpha-galactocylceramide, decreased body fat, triglyceride levels, leptin, and fatty liver and improved insulin sensitivity through anti-inflammatory cytokine production by adipose-derived iNKT cells. This finding highlights the potential of iNKT cell-targeted therapies, previously proven to be safe in humans, in the management of obesity and its consequences.

Towards a manifestly gauge invariant and universal calculus for Jang-Mills theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnone, S.; Gatti, A.; Morris, T.R.

2002-01-01

A manifestly gauge invariant exact renormalization group for pure SU (N) Jang-Mills theory is proposed, along with the necessary gauge invariant regularisation which implements the effective cutoff. The latter is naturally incorporated by embedding the theory into a spontaneously broken SU(N/N) super-gauge theory, which guarantees finiteness to all orders in perturbation theory. The effective action, from which one extracts the physics, can be computed whilst manifestly preserving gauge invariance at each and every step. As an example, we give an elegant computation of the one-loop SU(N) Jang-Mills beta function, for the first time at finite N without any gauge fixing or ghosts. It is also completely independent of the details put in by hand, e.g. the choice of covariantisation and the cutoff profile, and, therefore, guides us to a procedure for streamlined calculations (Authors)

Chirality invariance and 'chiral' fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ziino, G.

1978-01-01

The new field model derived in the present paper actually gives a definite answer to three fundamental questions concerning elementary-particle physics: 1) The phenomenological dualism between parity and chirality invariance: it would be only an apparent display of a general 'duality' principle underlying the intrinsic nature itself of (spin 1/2) fermions and expressed by the anticommutativity property between scalar and pseudoscalar charges. 2) The real physical meaning of V - A current structure: it would exclusively be connected to the one (just pointed out) of chiral fields themselves. 3) The unjustified apparent oddness shown by Nature in weak interactions, for the fact of picking out only one of the two (left- and right-handed) fermion 'chiral' projections: the key to such a 'mystery' would just be provided by the consequences of the dual and partial character of the two fermion-antifermion field bases. (Auth.)

What's hampering measurement invariance : Detecting non-invariant items using clusterwise simultaneous component analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

De Roover, K.; Timmerman, Marieke; De Leersnyder, J.; Mesquita, B.; Ceulemans, Eva

2014-01-01

The issue of measurement invariance is ubiquitous in the behavioral sciences nowadays as more and more studies yield multivariate multigroup data. When measurement invariance cannot be established across groups, this is often due to different loadings on only a few items. Within the multigroup CFA

The invariant charges of the Nambu-Goto theory: Their geometric origin and their completeness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pohlmeyer, K.; Rehren, K.H.

1988-01-01

We give an alternative construction of the reparametrization invariant 'non-local' conserved charges of the Nambu-Goto theory which elucidates their geometric nature and their completeness property. (orig.)

A conformal gauge invariant functional for Weyl structures and the first variation formula

OpenAIRE

Ichiyama, Toshiyuki; Furuhata, Hitoshi; Urakawa, Hajime

1999-01-01

We consider a new conformal gauge invariant functional which is a natural curvature functional on the space of Weyl structures. We derive the first variation formula of its functional and characterize its critical points.

Gauge-invariant formulation of SU(2) gluodynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simonov, Yu.A.

1984-01-01

The internal structure of a double asymmetric rotator is revealed in vector potential Asub(μa) via a proposed polar representation (PR). In the functional integral a natural gauge choice exists in PR not accompanied by Faddeev-Popov ghosts and Gribov ambiguities. Classical equations in PR are written in terms of only gauge invariant quantities. Instantons and magnetic monopoles in the Bogolmolny-Prasad-Sommerfield limit as well as the color-magnetic field of the 'tHooft-Polyakov monopole are studied in PR

Origin of gauge invariance in string theory

Science.gov (United States)

Horowitz, G. T.; Strominger, A.

1986-01-01

A first quantization of the space-time embedding Chi exp mu and the world-sheet metric rho of the open bosonic string. The world-sheet metric rho decouples from S-matrix elements in 26 dimensions. This formulation of the theory naturally includes 26-dimensional gauge transformations. The gauge invariance of S-matrix elements is a direct consequence of the decoupling of rho. Second quantization leads to a string field Phi(Chi exp mu, rho) with a gauge-covariant equation of motion.

Persistent changes in circulating and intestinal γδ T cell subsets, invariant natural killer T cells and mucosal-associated invariant T cells in children and adults with coeliac disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunne, Margaret R; Elliott, Louise; Hussey, Seamus; Mahmud, Nasir; Kelly, Jacinta; Doherty, Derek G; Feighery, Conleth F

2013-01-01

Coeliac disease is a chronic small intestinal immune-mediated enteropathy precipitated by exposure to dietary gluten in genetically predisposed individuals. The only current therapy is a lifelong gluten free diet. While much work has focused on the gliadin-specific adaptive immune response in coeliac disease, little is understood about the involvement of the innate immune system. Here we used multi-colour flow cytometry to determine the number and frequency of γδ T cells (Vδ1, Vδ2 and Vδ3 subsets), natural killer cells, CD56(+) T cells, invariant NKT cells, and mucosal associated invariant T cells, in blood and duodenum from adults and children with coeliac disease and healthy matched controls. All circulating innate lymphocyte populations were significantly decreased in adult, but not paediatric coeliac donors, when compared with healthy controls. Within the normal small intestine, we noted that Vδ3 cells were the most abundant γδ T cell type in the adult epithelium and lamina propria, and in the paediatric lamina propria. In contrast, patients with coeliac disease showed skewing toward a predominant Vδ1 profile, observed for both adult and paediatric coeliac disease cohorts, particularly within the gut epithelium. This was concurrent with decreases in all other gut lymphocyte subsets, suggesting a specific involvement of Vδ1 cells in coeliac disease pathogenesis. Further analysis showed that γδ T cells isolated from the coeliac gut display an activated, effector memory phenotype, and retain the ability to rapidly respond to in vitro stimulation. A profound loss of CD56 expression in all lymphocyte populations was noted in the coeliac gut. These findings demonstrate a sustained aberrant innate lymphocyte profile in coeliac disease patients of all ages, persisting even after elimination of gluten from the diet. This may lead to impaired immunity, and could potentially account for the increased incidence of autoimmune co-morbidity.

Persistent changes in circulating and intestinal γδ T cell subsets, invariant natural killer T cells and mucosal-associated invariant T cells in children and adults with coeliac disease.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Margaret R Dunne

Full Text Available Coeliac disease is a chronic small intestinal immune-mediated enteropathy precipitated by exposure to dietary gluten in genetically predisposed individuals. The only current therapy is a lifelong gluten free diet. While much work has focused on the gliadin-specific adaptive immune response in coeliac disease, little is understood about the involvement of the innate immune system. Here we used multi-colour flow cytometry to determine the number and frequency of γδ T cells (Vδ1, Vδ2 and Vδ3 subsets, natural killer cells, CD56(+ T cells, invariant NKT cells, and mucosal associated invariant T cells, in blood and duodenum from adults and children with coeliac disease and healthy matched controls. All circulating innate lymphocyte populations were significantly decreased in adult, but not paediatric coeliac donors, when compared with healthy controls. Within the normal small intestine, we noted that Vδ3 cells were the most abundant γδ T cell type in the adult epithelium and lamina propria, and in the paediatric lamina propria. In contrast, patients with coeliac disease showed skewing toward a predominant Vδ1 profile, observed for both adult and paediatric coeliac disease cohorts, particularly within the gut epithelium. This was concurrent with decreases in all other gut lymphocyte subsets, suggesting a specific involvement of Vδ1 cells in coeliac disease pathogenesis. Further analysis showed that γδ T cells isolated from the coeliac gut display an activated, effector memory phenotype, and retain the ability to rapidly respond to in vitro stimulation. A profound loss of CD56 expression in all lymphocyte populations was noted in the coeliac gut. These findings demonstrate a sustained aberrant innate lymphocyte profile in coeliac disease patients of all ages, persisting even after elimination of gluten from the diet. This may lead to impaired immunity, and could potentially account for the increased incidence of autoimmune co-morbidity.

Orientationally invariant indices of axon diameter and density from diffusion MRI

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alexander, Daniel C; Hubbard, Penny L; Hall, Matt G

2010-01-01

tensor imaging. Orientational invariance allows for combination with tractography and presents new opportunities for mapping brain connectivity and quantifying disease processes. The technique uses a four-compartment tissue model combined with an optimized multishell high-angular-resolution pulsed...... to natural axon diameter distributions for the first time with both specialist and clinical hardware. This demonstration motivates further refinement, validation, and evaluation of the precise nature of the indices and the influence of potential confounds....

What’s hampering measurement invariance: Detecting non-invariant items using clusterwise simultaneous component analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kim eDe Roover

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The issue of measurement invariance is ubiquitous in the behavioral sciences nowadays as more and more studies yield multivariate multigroup data. When measurement invariance cannot be established across groups, this is often due to different loadings on only a few items. Within the multigroup CFA framework, methods have been proposed to trace such non-invariant items, but these methods have some disadvantages in that they require researchers to run a multitude of analyses and in that they imply assumptions that are often questionable. In this paper, we propose an alternative strategy which builds on clusterwise simultaneous component analysis (SCA. Clusterwise SCA, being an exploratory technique, assigns the groups under study to a few clusters based on differences and similarities in the covariance matrices, and thus based on the component structure of the items. Non-invariant items can then be traced by comparing the cluster-specific component loadings via congruence coefficients, which is far more parsimonious than comparing the component structure of all separate groups. In this paper we present a heuristic for this procedure. Afterwards, one can return to the multigroup CFA framework and check whether removing the non-invariant items or removing some of the equality restrictions for these items, yields satisfactory invariance test results. An empirical application concerning cross-cultural emotion data is used to demonstrate that this novel approach is useful and can co-exist with the traditional CFA approaches.

"Human Nature": Chemical Engineering Students' Ideas about Human Relationships with the Natural World

Science.gov (United States)

Goldman, Daphne; Assaraf, Orit Ben-Zvi; Shemesh, Julia

2014-01-01

While importance of environmental ethics, as a component of sustainable development, in preparing engineers is widely acknowledged, little research has addressed chemical engineers' environmental concerns. This study aimed to address this void by exploring chemical engineering students' values regarding human-nature relationships. The study was…

The 'Disadapted' Animal: Niko Tinbergen on Human Nature and the Human Predicament.

Science.gov (United States)

Vicedo, Marga

2018-06-01

This paper explores ethologist Niko Tinbergen's path from animal to human studies in the 1960s and 1970s and his views about human nature. It argues, first, that the confluence of several factors explains why Tinbergen decided to cross the animal/human divide in the mid 1960s: his concern about what he called "the human predicament," his relations with British child psychiatrist John Bowlby, the success of ethological explanations of human behavior, and his professional and personal situation. It also argues that Tinbergen transferred his general adaptationist view of animal behavior to the realm of human biology; here, his concern about disadaptation led him to a view of human behavior that was strongly determined by the species' evolutionary past, a position that I call evolutionary determinism. These ideas can be seen in the work he carried out with his wife, Elisabeth Tinbergen, on autism. The paper concludes that Tinbergen's vision of human nature constitutes another version of what anthropologist Clifford Geertz called in 1966 the "stratigraphic" conception of the human: a view of human nature as a composite of levels in which a universal ancestral biological core is superimposed by psychological and cultural layers that represent accidental variation at best and pathological deviation at worst.

Gauge-invariant cosmological density perturbations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasaki, Misao.

1986-06-01

Gauge-invariant formulation of cosmological density perturbation theory is reviewed with special emphasis on its geometrical aspects. Then the gauge-invariant measure of the magnitude of a given perturbation is presented. (author)

Identification of invariant measures of interacting systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Jinwen

2004-01-01

In this paper we provide an approach for identifying certain mixture representations of some invariant measures of interacting stochastic systems. This is related to the problem of ergodicity of certain extremal invariant measures that are translation invariant. Corresponding to these, results concerning the existence of invariant measures and certain weak convergence of the systems are also provided

The human right to sustainable development in solidarity with Nature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anya Teresa Parrilla Díaz

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This article addresses the issue of human development as a universal right subjected to the welfare of Nature. Nature is presented as supporter of life and supplier of the essential resources needed to achieve a complete human development. In light of the global ecological crisis, the author proposes sustainable development as the central framework for a new human development that can be fairer to Nature and to mankind. The challenge of sustainable human development consists in viewing Nature from an ethical perspective of human rights and solidarity.

Revisiting measurement invariance in intelligence testing in aging research: Evidence for almost complete metric invariance across age groups.

Science.gov (United States)

Sprague, Briana N; Hyun, Jinshil; Molenaar, Peter C M

2017-01-01

Invariance of intelligence across age is often assumed but infrequently explicitly tested. Horn and McArdle (1992) tested measurement invariance of intelligence, providing adequate model fit but might not consider all relevant aspects such as sub-test differences. The goal of the current paper is to explore age-related invariance of the WAIS-R using an alternative model that allows direct tests of age on WAIS-R subtests. Cross-sectional data on 940 participants aged 16-75 from the WAIS-R normative values were used. Subtests examined were information, comprehension, similarities, vocabulary, picture completion, block design, picture arrangement, and object assembly. The two intelligence factors considered were fluid and crystallized intelligence. Self-reported ages were divided into young (16-22, n = 300), adult (29-39, n = 275), middle (40-60, n = 205), and older (61-75, n = 160) adult groups. Results suggested partial metric invariance holds. Although most of the subtests reflected fluid and crystalized intelligence similarly across different ages, invariance did not hold for block design on fluid intelligence and picture arrangement on crystallized intelligence for older adults. Additionally, there was evidence of a correlated residual between information and vocabulary for the young adults only. This partial metric invariance model yielded acceptable model fit compared to previously-proposed invariance models of Horn and McArdle (1992). Almost complete metric invariance holds for a two-factor model of intelligence. Most of the subtests were invariant across age groups, suggesting little evidence for age-related bias in the WAIS-R. However, we did find unique relationships between two subtests and intelligence. Future studies should examine age-related differences in subtests when testing measurement invariance in intelligence.

`Human nature': Chemical engineering students' ideas about human relationships with the natural world

Science.gov (United States)

Goldman, Daphne; Ben-Zvi Assaraf, Orit; Shemesh, Julia

2014-05-01

While importance of environmental ethics, as a component of sustainable development, in preparing engineers is widely acknowledged, little research has addressed chemical engineers' environmental concerns. This study aimed to address this void by exploring chemical engineering students' values regarding human-nature relationships. The study was conducted with 247 3rd-4th year chemical engineering students in Israeli Universities. It employed the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP)-questionnaire to which students added written explanations. Quantitative analysis of NEP-scale results shows that the students demonstrated moderately ecocentric orientation. Explanations to the NEP-items reveal diverse, ambivalent ideas regarding the notions embodied in the NEP, strong scientific orientation and reliance on technology for addressing environmental challenges. Endorsing sustainability implies that today's engineers be equipped with an ecological perspective. The capacity of Higher Education to enable engineers to develop dispositions about human-nature interrelationships requires adaptation of curricula towards multidisciplinary, integrative learning addressing social-political-economic-ethical perspectives, and implementing critical-thinking within the socio-scientific issues pedagogical approach.

Unique and Common Features of Innate-Like Human Vδ2+ γδT Cells and Mucosal-Associated Invariant T Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicholas M. Provine

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT cells are innate-like T cells abundant in humans that can be activated in a TCR-independent manner by inflammatory and antiviral cytokines. In humans, the capacity for TCR-independent activation is functionally linked to a transcriptional program that can be identified by the expression of the C-type lectin receptor, CD161. In addition to MAIT cells, it has been demonstrated that a subset of γδT cells expresses CD161 and can be activated by TCR-independent cytokine stimulation. In this study, we sought to clarify the nature of cytokine-responsive human γδT cells. We could link CD161 expression on Vδ2+ versus Vδ1+ γδT cells to the observation that Vδ2+ γδT cells, but not Vδ1+ γδT cells, robustly produced IFN-γ upon stimulation with a variety of cytokine combinations. Interestingly, both CD161+ and CD161− Vδ2+ γδT cells responded to these stimuli, with increased functionality within the CD161+ subset. This innate-like responsiveness corresponded to high expression of PLZF and IL-18Rα, analogous to MAIT cells. Vδ2+ γδT cells in human duodenum and liver maintained a CD161+ IL-18Rα+ phenotype and produced IFN-γ in response to IL-12 and IL-18 stimulation. In contrast to MAIT cells, we could not detect IL-17A production but observed higher steady-state expression of Granzyme B by Vδ2+ γδT cells. Finally, we investigated the frequency and functionality of γδT cells in the context of chronic hepatitis C virus infection, as MAIT cells are reduced in frequency in this disease. By contrast, Vδ2+ γδT cells were maintained in frequency and displayed unimpaired IFN-γ production in response to cytokine stimulation. In sum, human Vδ2+ γδT cells are a functionally distinct population of cytokine-responsive innate-like T cells that is abundant in blood and tissues with similarities to human MAIT cells.

Constructing Invariant Fairness Measures for Surfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gravesen, Jens; Ungstrup, Michael

1998-01-01

of the size of this vector field is used as the fairness measure on the family.Six basic 3rd order invariants satisfying two quadratic equations are defined. They form a complete set in the sense that any invariant 3rd order function can be written as a function of the six basic invariants together...

Scale-invariant extended inflation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holman, R.; Kolb, E.W.; Vadas, S.L.; Wang, Y.

1991-01-01

We propose a model of extended inflation which makes use of the nonlinear realization of scale invariance involving the dilaton coupled to an inflaton field whose potential admits a metastable ground state. The resulting theory resembles the Jordan-Brans-Dicke version of extended inflation. However, quantum effects, in the form of the conformal anomaly, generate a mass for the dilaton, thus allowing our model to evade the problems of the original version of extended inflation. We show that extended inflation can occur for a wide range of inflaton potentials with no fine-tuning of dimensionless parameters required. Furthermore, we also find that it is quite natural for the extended-inflation period to be followed by an epoch of slow-rollover inflation as the dilaton settles down to the minimum of its induced potential

Nonlocal, yet translation invariant, constraints for rotationally invariant slave bosons

Science.gov (United States)

Ayral, Thomas; Kotliar, Gabriel

The rotationally-invariant slave boson (RISB) method is a lightweight framework allowing to study the low-energy properties of complex multiorbital problems currently out of the reach of more comprehensive, yet more computationally demanding methods such as dynamical mean field theory. In the original formulation of this formalism, the slave-boson constraints can be made nonlocal by enlarging the unit cell and viewing the quantum states enclosed in this new unit cell as molecular levels. In this work, we extend RISB to constraints which are nonlocal while preserving translation invariance. We apply this extension to the Hubbard model.

Rousseau’s View of Human Nature and Values Education

OpenAIRE

TÜFENKÇİ, Semra; ÇETİN, Mustafa

2017-01-01

Rousseau considers human nature and everything arising from this nature as good as theiroriginal instances. Therefore, education should reveal the positive emotions in human nature,rather than to sculpt them. Rousseau’s thoughts in Emile, have been a great influence on theeducators, especially on the values education approaches of modern education. In this article,we examine Rousseau’s negative education approach which acknowledges that human natureis merely good; and the importance of negati...

Events, laws of nature, and invariance principles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wigner, E.P.

1985-01-01

The author mentions that the permanancy of the validity of the deterministic laws of nature became questionable as a result of the realization, due initially to D. Zeh, that the states of macroscopic bodies are always under the influence of their environment; in this world they can not be separated from it. The initial conditions of a system, together with the laws of nature, are supposed to determine the behavior of the system as long as this remains isolated, i.e. is not subject to the influence of other systems. The author remarks upon the initial conditions of Maxwell's equations. It is noted that our laws of nature are approximate but there are conditions under which their accuracy is quite good. The last part of the author's discussion points to the lack of absolute consistency of the present laws of physics and their weaknesses. In quantum mechanics the symmetry priniples lead to an easy establishment of several consequences of the theory and are very useful in this connection

Noise-invariant Neurons in the Avian Auditory Cortex: Hearing the Song in Noise

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, R. Channing; Lee, Tyler; Theunissen, Frédéric E.

2013-01-01

Given the extraordinary ability of humans and animals to recognize communication signals over a background of noise, describing noise invariant neural responses is critical not only to pinpoint the brain regions that are mediating our robust perceptions but also to understand the neural computations that are performing these tasks and the underlying circuitry. Although invariant neural responses, such as rotation-invariant face cells, are well described in the visual system, high-level auditory neurons that can represent the same behaviorally relevant signal in a range of listening conditions have yet to be discovered. Here we found neurons in a secondary area of the avian auditory cortex that exhibit noise-invariant responses in the sense that they responded with similar spike patterns to song stimuli presented in silence and over a background of naturalistic noise. By characterizing the neurons' tuning in terms of their responses to modulations in the temporal and spectral envelope of the sound, we then show that noise invariance is partly achieved by selectively responding to long sounds with sharp spectral structure. Finally, to demonstrate that such computations could explain noise invariance, we designed a biologically inspired noise-filtering algorithm that can be used to separate song or speech from noise. This novel noise-filtering method performs as well as other state-of-the-art de-noising algorithms and could be used in clinical or consumer oriented applications. Our biologically inspired model also shows how high-level noise-invariant responses could be created from neural responses typically found in primary auditory cortex. PMID:23505354

Noise-invariant neurons in the avian auditory cortex: hearing the song in noise.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, R Channing; Lee, Tyler; Theunissen, Frédéric E

2013-01-01

Given the extraordinary ability of humans and animals to recognize communication signals over a background of noise, describing noise invariant neural responses is critical not only to pinpoint the brain regions that are mediating our robust perceptions but also to understand the neural computations that are performing these tasks and the underlying circuitry. Although invariant neural responses, such as rotation-invariant face cells, are well described in the visual system, high-level auditory neurons that can represent the same behaviorally relevant signal in a range of listening conditions have yet to be discovered. Here we found neurons in a secondary area of the avian auditory cortex that exhibit noise-invariant responses in the sense that they responded with similar spike patterns to song stimuli presented in silence and over a background of naturalistic noise. By characterizing the neurons' tuning in terms of their responses to modulations in the temporal and spectral envelope of the sound, we then show that noise invariance is partly achieved by selectively responding to long sounds with sharp spectral structure. Finally, to demonstrate that such computations could explain noise invariance, we designed a biologically inspired noise-filtering algorithm that can be used to separate song or speech from noise. This novel noise-filtering method performs as well as other state-of-the-art de-noising algorithms and could be used in clinical or consumer oriented applications. Our biologically inspired model also shows how high-level noise-invariant responses could be created from neural responses typically found in primary auditory cortex.

Noise-invariant neurons in the avian auditory cortex: hearing the song in noise.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R Channing Moore

Full Text Available Given the extraordinary ability of humans and animals to recognize communication signals over a background of noise, describing noise invariant neural responses is critical not only to pinpoint the brain regions that are mediating our robust perceptions but also to understand the neural computations that are performing these tasks and the underlying circuitry. Although invariant neural responses, such as rotation-invariant face cells, are well described in the visual system, high-level auditory neurons that can represent the same behaviorally relevant signal in a range of listening conditions have yet to be discovered. Here we found neurons in a secondary area of the avian auditory cortex that exhibit noise-invariant responses in the sense that they responded with similar spike patterns to song stimuli presented in silence and over a background of naturalistic noise. By characterizing the neurons' tuning in terms of their responses to modulations in the temporal and spectral envelope of the sound, we then show that noise invariance is partly achieved by selectively responding to long sounds with sharp spectral structure. Finally, to demonstrate that such computations could explain noise invariance, we designed a biologically inspired noise-filtering algorithm that can be used to separate song or speech from noise. This novel noise-filtering method performs as well as other state-of-the-art de-noising algorithms and could be used in clinical or consumer oriented applications. Our biologically inspired model also shows how high-level noise-invariant responses could be created from neural responses typically found in primary auditory cortex.

Analytic invariants of boundary links

OpenAIRE

Garoufalidis, Stavros; Levine, Jerome

2001-01-01

Using basic topology and linear algebra, we define a plethora of invariants of boundary links whose values are power series with noncommuting variables. These turn out to be useful and elementary reformulations of an invariant originally defined by M. Farber.

Status of time reversal invariance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henley, E.M.

1989-01-01

Time Reversal Invariance is introduced, and theories for its violation are reviewed. The present experimental and theoretical status of Time Reversal Invariance and tests thereof will be presented. Possible future tests will be discussed. 30 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab

Humanism and nature – some reflections on a complex relationship

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jörn Rüsen

2006-04-01

Full Text Available The paper starts with a systematical analysis of the interrelationship of humanism and nature. It proceeds to a historical reconstruction of this relationship in the development of Western humanism from ancient Rome via Renaissance till the Enlightenment of the 18th century. In both respects the result of the analysis is the same: The Western tradition of humanism is characterised by a gap between an emphasis on the cultural quality of human life on the one hand and nature on the other one. Men are entitled to dominate and govern nature and use it for their purpose. This fits into an idea of a progressing destructive relationship between man and nature in the West. On the other the tradition of humanism has put the gap between man and nature into a harmonising cosmological or theological context. In this context a simple destructive relationship between man and nature is not possible. The humanism of today has to pick up the challenge of the ecological crisis and to refer to its tradition where man and nature are mediated into a meaningful and sense-bearing interrelationship. Instead of simply referring to the traditional cosmology a convincing idea of this mediation or even synthesis can only be made plausible by referring to the already pre-given synthesis between nature and culture, the human body.

Summational invariants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mackrodt, C.; Reeh, H.

1997-01-01

General summational invariants, i.e., conservation laws acting additively on asymptotic particle states, are investigated within a classical framework for point particles with nontrivial scattering. copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics

Exact scale-invariant background of gravitational waves from cosmic defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Figueroa, Daniel G; Hindmarsh, Mark; Urrestilla, Jon

2013-03-08

We demonstrate that any scaling source in the radiation era produces a background of gravitational waves with an exact scale-invariant power spectrum. Cosmic defects, created after a phase transition in the early universe, are such a scaling source. We emphasize that the result is independent of the topology of the cosmic defects, the order of phase transition, and the nature of the symmetry broken, global or gauged. As an example, using large-scale numerical simulations, we calculate the scale-invariant gravitational wave power spectrum generated by the dynamics of a global O(N) scalar theory. The result approaches the large N theoretical prediction as N(-2), albeit with a large coefficient. The signal from global cosmic strings is O(100) times larger than the large N prediction.

Dynamical topological invariant after a quantum quench

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Chao; Li, Linhu; Chen, Shu

2018-02-01

We show how to define a dynamical topological invariant for one-dimensional two-band topological systems after a quantum quench. By analyzing general two-band models of topological insulators, we demonstrate that the reduced momentum-time manifold can be viewed as a series of submanifolds S2, and thus we are able to define a dynamical topological invariant on each of the spheres. We also unveil the intrinsic relation between the dynamical topological invariant and the difference in the topological invariant of the initial and final static Hamiltonian. By considering some concrete examples, we illustrate the calculation of the dynamical topological invariant and its geometrical meaning explicitly.

Human Nature and its Implications for the Legal System | Obioha ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper examines the implications the various conceptions of human nature hold for the legal system. No doubt, there are various and conflicting theories of human nature such that the concept of human nature seems to have remained elusive and pervasive. Some conceive man as nothing but matter pure and simple; ...

Phenomenology of local scale invariance: from conformal invariance to dynamical scaling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henkel, Malte

2002-01-01

Statistical systems displaying a strongly anisotropic or dynamical scaling behaviour are characterized by an anisotropy exponent θ or a dynamical exponent z. For a given value of θ (or z), we construct local scale transformations, which can be viewed as scale transformations with a space-time-dependent dilatation factor. Two distinct types of local scale transformations are found. The first type may describe strongly anisotropic scaling of static systems with a given value of θ, whereas the second type may describe dynamical scaling with a dynamical exponent z. Local scale transformations act as a dynamical symmetry group of certain non-local free-field theories. Known special cases of local scale invariance are conformal invariance for θ=1 and Schroedinger invariance for θ=2. The hypothesis of local scale invariance implies that two-point functions of quasi primary operators satisfy certain linear fractional differential equations, which are constructed from commuting fractional derivatives. The explicit solution of these yields exact expressions for two-point correlators at equilibrium and for two-point response functions out of equilibrium. A particularly simple and general form is found for the two-time auto response function. These predictions are explicitly confirmed at the uniaxial Lifshitz points in the ANNNI and ANNNS models and in the aging behaviour of simple ferromagnets such as the kinetic Glauber-Ising model and the kinetic spherical model with a non-conserved order parameter undergoing either phase-ordering kinetics or non-equilibrium critical dynamics

Study of the Gray Scale, Polychromatic, Distortion Invariant Neural Networks Using the Ipa Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Uang, Chii-Maw

Research in the optical neural network field is primarily motivated by the fact that humans recognize objects better than the conventional digital computers and the massively parallel inherent nature of optics. This research represents a continuous effort during the past several years in the exploitation of using neurocomputing for pattern recognition. Based on the interpattern association (IPA) model and Hamming net model, many new systems and applications are introduced. A gray level discrete associative memory that is based on object decomposition/composition is proposed for recognizing gray-level patterns. This technique extends the processing ability from the binary mode to gray-level mode, and thus the information capacity is increased. Two polychromatic optical neural networks using color liquid crystal television (LCTV) panels for color pattern recognition are introduced. By introducing a color encoding technique in conjunction with the interpattern associative algorithm, a color associative memory was realized. Based on the color decomposition and composition technique, a color exemplar-based Hamming net was built for color image classification. A shift-invariant neural network is presented through use of the translation invariant property of the modulus of the Fourier transformation and the hetero-associative interpattern association (IPA) memory. To extract the main features, a quadrantal sampling method is used to sampled data and then replace the training patterns. Using the concept of hetero-associative memory to recall the distorted object. A shift and rotation invariant neural network using an interpattern hetero-association (IHA) model is presented. To preserve the shift and rotation invariant properties, a set of binarized-encoded circular harmonic expansion (CHE) functions at the Fourier domain is used as the training set. We use the shift and symmetric properties of the modulus of the Fourier spectrum to avoid the problem of centering the CHE

Quantifying Translation-Invariance in Convolutional Neural Networks

OpenAIRE

Kauderer-Abrams, Eric

2017-01-01

A fundamental problem in object recognition is the development of image representations that are invariant to common transformations such as translation, rotation, and small deformations. There are multiple hypotheses regarding the source of translation invariance in CNNs. One idea is that translation invariance is due to the increasing receptive field size of neurons in successive convolution layers. Another possibility is that invariance is due to the pooling operation. We develop a simple ...

Translationally invariant multipartite Bell inequalities involving only two-body correlators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tura, J; B Sainz, A; Acín, A; Lewenstein, M; Augusiak, R; Vértesi, T

2014-01-01

Bell inequalities are natural tools that allow one to certify the presence of nonlocality in quantum systems. The known constructions of multipartite Bell inequalities contain, however, correlation functions involving all observers, making their experimental implementation difficult. The main purpose of this work is to explore the possibility of witnessing nonlocality in multipartite quantum states from the easiest-to-measure quantities, that is, the two-body correlations. In particular, we determine all three- and four-partite Bell inequalities constructed from one- and two-body expectation values that obey translational symmetry, and show that they reveal nonlocality in multipartite states. Also, by providing a particular example of a five-partite Bell inequality, we show that nonlocality can be detected from two-body correlators involving only nearest neighbours. Finally, we demonstrate that any translationally invariant Bell inequality can be maximally violated by a translationally invariant state and the same set of observables at all sites. We provide a numerical algorithm allowing one to seek for maximal violation of a translationally invariant Bell inequality. This article is part of a special issue of Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical devoted to ‘50 years of Bell’s theorem’. (paper)

Invariant measures in brain dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyarsky, Abraham; Gora, Pawel

2006-01-01

This note concerns brain activity at the level of neural ensembles and uses ideas from ergodic dynamical systems to model and characterize chaotic patterns among these ensembles during conscious mental activity. Central to our model is the definition of a space of neural ensembles and the assumption of discrete time ensemble dynamics. We argue that continuous invariant measures draw the attention of deeper brain processes, engendering emergent properties such as consciousness. Invariant measures supported on a finite set of ensembles reflect periodic behavior, whereas the existence of continuous invariant measures reflect the dynamics of nonrepeating ensemble patterns that elicit the interest of deeper mental processes. We shall consider two different ways to achieve continuous invariant measures on the space of neural ensembles: (1) via quantum jitters, and (2) via sensory input accompanied by inner thought processes which engender a 'folding' property on the space of ensembles

Gauge-invariant dynamical quantities of QED with decomposed gauge potentials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Baohua; Huang Yongchang

2011-01-01

We discover an inner structure of the QED system; i.e., by decomposing the gauge potential into two orthogonal components, we obtain a new expansion of the Lagrangian for the electron-photon system, from which, we realize the orthogonal decomposition of the canonical momentum conjugate to the gauge potential with the canonical momentum's two components conjugate to the gauge potential's two components, respectively. Using the new expansion of Lagrangian and by the general method of field theory, we naturally derive the gauge invariant separation of the angular momentum of the electron-photon system from Noether theorem, which is the rational one and has the simplest form in mathematics, compared with the other four versions of the angular momentum separation available in literature. We show that it is only the longitudinal component of the gauge potential that is contained in the orbital angular momentum of the electron, as Chen et al. have said. A similar gauge invariant separation of the momentum is given. The decomposed canonical Hamiltonian is derived, from which we construct the gauge invariant energy operator of the electron moving in the external field generated by a proton [Phys. Rev. A 82, 012107 (2010)], where we show that the form of the kinetic energy containing the longitudinal part of the gauge potential is due to the intrinsic requirement of the gauge invariance. Our method provides a new perspective to look on the nucleon spin crisis and indicates that this problem can be solved strictly and systematically.

Local Relation Map: A Novel Illumination Invariant Face Recognition Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lian Zhichao

2012-10-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a novel illumination invariant face recognition approach is proposed. Different from most existing methods, an additive term as noise is considered in the face model under varying illuminations in addition to a multiplicative illumination term. High frequency coefficients of Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT are discarded to eliminate the effect caused by noise. Based on the local characteristics of the human face, a simple but effective illumination invariant feature local relation map is proposed. Experimental results on the Yale B, Extended Yale B and CMU PIE demonstrate the outperformance and lower computational burden of the proposed method compared to other existing methods. The results also demonstrate the validity of the proposed face model and the assumption on noise.

Are Humans Still Evolving? A Natural Selection Discussion Lesson

Science.gov (United States)

Shields, Martin

2004-01-01

A study is conducted to develop sound comprehension of natural selection theory by prompting students to use its concept to explain the evolutionary status of humans. In relation to the current existence of human it is stated that human populations currently undergo microevolutionary changes in allele frequencies due to natural selection and other…

Human Nature in the Adaptation of Trust

OpenAIRE

Nooteboom, B.

2006-01-01

This chapter pleads for more inspiration from human nature, in agent-based modeling.As an illustration of an effort in that direction, it summarizes and discusses an agentbased model of the build-up and adaptation of trust between multiple producers and suppliers.The central question is whether, and under what conditions, trust and loyalty are viable in markets.While the model incorporates some well known behavioural phenomena from the trust literature, more extended modeling of human nature ...

The usage of color invariance in SURF

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Gang; Jiang, Zhiguo; Zhao, Danpei

2009-10-01

SURF (Scale Invariant Feature Transform) is a robust local invariant feature descriptor. However, SURF is mainly designed for gray images. In order to make use of the information provided by color (mainly RGB channels), this paper presents a novel colored local invariant feature descriptor, CISURF (Color Invariance based SURF). The proposed approach builds the descriptors in a color invariant space, which stems from Kubelka-Munk model and provides more valuable information than the gray space. Compared with the conventional SURF and SIFT descriptors, the experimental results show that descriptors created by CISURF is more robust to the circumstance changes such as the illumination direction, illumination intensity, and the viewpoints, and are more suitable for the deep space background objects.

Unsupervised learning of a steerable basis for invariant image representations

Science.gov (United States)

Bethge, Matthias; Gerwinn, Sebastian; Macke, Jakob H.

2007-02-01

There are two aspects to unsupervised learning of invariant representations of images: First, we can reduce the dimensionality of the representation by finding an optimal trade-off between temporal stability and informativeness. We show that the answer to this optimization problem is generally not unique so that there is still considerable freedom in choosing a suitable basis. Which of the many optimal representations should be selected? Here, we focus on this second aspect, and seek to find representations that are invariant under geometrical transformations occuring in sequences of natural images. We utilize ideas of 'steerability' and Lie groups, which have been developed in the context of filter design. In particular, we show how an anti-symmetric version of canonical correlation analysis can be used to learn a full-rank image basis which is steerable with respect to rotations. We provide a geometric interpretation of this algorithm by showing that it finds the two-dimensional eigensubspaces of the average bivector. For data which exhibits a variety of transformations, we develop a bivector clustering algorithm, which we use to learn a basis of generalized quadrature pairs (i.e. 'complex cells') from sequences of natural images.

Anisotropic Weyl invariance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perez-Nadal, Guillem [Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires (Argentina)

2017-07-15

We consider a non-relativistic free scalar field theory with a type of anisotropic scale invariance in which the number of coordinates ''scaling like time'' is generically greater than one. We propose the Cartesian product of two curved spaces, the metric of each space being parameterized by the other space, as a notion of curved background to which the theory can be extended. We study this type of geometries, and find a family of extensions of the theory to curved backgrounds in which the anisotropic scale invariance is promoted to a local, Weyl-type symmetry. (orig.)

The invariant theory of matrices

CERN Document Server

Concini, Corrado De

2017-01-01

This book gives a unified, complete, and self-contained exposition of the main algebraic theorems of invariant theory for matrices in a characteristic free approach. More precisely, it contains the description of polynomial functions in several variables on the set of m\\times m matrices with coefficients in an infinite field or even the ring of integers, invariant under simultaneous conjugation. Following Hermann Weyl's classical approach, the ring of invariants is described by formulating and proving the first fundamental theorem that describes a set of generators in the ring of invariants, and the second fundamental theorem that describes relations between these generators. The authors study both the case of matrices over a field of characteristic 0 and the case of matrices over a field of positive characteristic. While the case of characteristic 0 can be treated following a classical approach, the case of positive characteristic (developed by Donkin and Zubkov) is much harder. A presentation of this case...

Time-warp invariant pattern detection with bursting neurons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gollisch, Tim

2008-01-01

Sound patterns are defined by the temporal relations of their constituents, individual acoustic cues. Auditory systems need to extract these temporal relations to detect or classify sounds. In various cases, ranging from human speech to communication signals of grasshoppers, this pattern detection has been found to display invariance to temporal stretching or compression of the sound signal ('linear time-warp invariance'). In this work, a four-neuron network model is introduced, designed to solve such a detection task for the example of grasshopper courtship songs. As an essential ingredient, the network contains neurons with intrinsic bursting dynamics, which allow them to encode durations between acoustic events in short, rapid sequences of spikes. As shown by analytical calculations and computer simulations, these neuronal dynamics result in a powerful mechanism for temporal integration. Finally, the network reads out the encoded temporal information by detecting equal activity of two such bursting neurons. This leads to the recognition of rhythmic patterns independent of temporal stretching or compression

Human-Nature for Climate Action: Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Sustainability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helen Santiago Fink

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The global climate change agenda proceeds at an incremental pace while the Earth is approaching critical tipping points in its development trajectory. Climate action at this pinnacle juncture needs to be greatly accelerated and rooted in the fundamentals of the problem—human beings’ disconnection from nature. This paper underscores the valuable role nature and nature-based solutions can play in addressing climate change at the city scale and its implications for broader sustainability. Urban ecosystems (nature in cities are seen as an integral part of a proposed local climate action rubric wherein policy measures and integrated planning guide lowcarbon/impact development to create more resilient and sustainable urban environments. The use of green infrastructure is highlighted as a cost-effective means to contribute to mitigation and adaptation needs as well as to promote human wellbeing. The paper takes an exploratory view of the influence of ecosystem services, particularly cultural services, and its economics in relation to the individual and society to understand how biophilia can be nurtured to promote environmental stewardship and climate action.

Scale invariant Volkov–Akulov supergravity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferrara, S., E-mail: sergio.ferrara@cern.ch [Th-Ph Department, CERN, CH-1211 Geneva 23 (Switzerland); INFN – Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Via Enrico Fermi 40, 00044 Frascati (Italy); Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547 (United States); Porrati, M., E-mail: mp9@nyu.edu [Th-Ph Department, CERN, CH-1211 Geneva 23 (Switzerland); CCPP, Department of Physics, NYU, 4 Washington Pl., New York, NY 10003 (United States); Sagnotti, A., E-mail: sagnotti@sns.it [Th-Ph Department, CERN, CH-1211 Geneva 23 (Switzerland); Scuola Normale Superiore and INFN, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa (Italy)

2015-10-07

A scale invariant goldstino theory coupled to supergravity is obtained as a standard supergravity dual of a rigidly scale-invariant higher-curvature supergravity with a nilpotent chiral scalar curvature. The bosonic part of this theory describes a massless scalaron and a massive axion in a de Sitter Universe.

On the invariance principle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moller-Nielsen, Thomas [University of Oxford (United Kingdom)

2014-07-01

Physicists and philosophers have long claimed that the symmetries of our physical theories - roughly speaking, those transformations which map solutions of the theory into solutions - can provide us with genuine insight into what the world is really like. According to this 'Invariance Principle', only those quantities which are invariant under a theory's symmetries should be taken to be physically real, while those quantities which vary under its symmetries should not. Physicists and philosophers, however, are generally divided (or, indeed, silent) when it comes to explaining how such a principle is to be justified. In this paper, I spell out some of the problems inherent in other theorists' attempts to justify this principle, and sketch my own proposed general schema for explaining how - and when - the Invariance Principle can indeed be used as a legitimate tool of metaphysical inference.

A functional LMO invariant for Lagrangian cobordisms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cheptea, Dorin; Habiro, Kazuo; Massuyeau, Gwénaël

2008-01-01

Lagrangian cobordisms are three-dimensional compact oriented cobordisms between once-punctured surfaces, subject to some homological conditions. We extend the Le–Murakami–Ohtsuki invariant of homology three-spheres to a functor from the category of Lagrangian cobordisms to a certain category...... of Jacobi diagrams. We prove some properties of this functorial LMO invariant, including its universality among rational finite-type invariants of Lagrangian cobordisms. Finally, we apply the LMO functor to the study of homology cylinders from the point of view of their finite-type invariants....

Continuous Integrated Invariant Inference, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The proposed project will develop a new technique for invariant inference and embed this and other current invariant inference and checking techniques in an...

Test of charge conjugation invariance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nefkens, B.M.K.; Prakhov, S.; Gaardestig, A.; Clajus, M.; Marusic, A.; McDonald, S.; Phaisangittisakul, N.; Price, J.W.; Starostin, A.; Tippens, W.B.; Allgower, C.E.; Spinka, H.; Bekrenev, V.; Koulbardis, A.; Kozlenko, N.; Kruglov, S.; Lopatin, I.; Briscoe, W.J.; Shafi, A.; Comfort, J.R.

2005-01-01

We report on the first determination of upper limits on the branching ratio (BR) of η decay to π 0 π 0 γ and to π 0 π 0 π 0 γ. Both decay modes are strictly forbidden by charge conjugation (C) invariance. Using the Crystal Ball multiphoton detector, we obtained BR(η→π 0 π 0 γ) -4 at the 90% confidence level, in support of C invariance of isoscalar electromagnetic interactions of the light quarks. We have also measured BR(η→π 0 π 0 π 0 γ) -5 at the 90% confidence level, in support of C invariance of isovector electromagnetic interactions

Scale invariant Volkov–Akulov supergravity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Ferrara

2015-10-01

Full Text Available A scale invariant goldstino theory coupled to supergravity is obtained as a standard supergravity dual of a rigidly scale-invariant higher-curvature supergravity with a nilpotent chiral scalar curvature. The bosonic part of this theory describes a massless scalaron and a massive axion in a de Sitter Universe.

Dialectical Model of Human Nature

OpenAIRE

Cachat, Jonathan

2013-01-01

The DMoHN is a graphical representation of my current understanding and conceptualization of human nature, in addition to embodying the guiding ethos of social neuroscience. The dialectic is a logic, or way of thinking that joins opposite elements together in a uniting fashion to create emergent attributes not present in the elements alone. The dialectical structure of this model explicitly links Culture and Biology within the human brain in order to convey the symbiotic and dynamic interacti...

The Apparent Lack of Lorentz Invariance in Zero-Point Fields with Truncated Spectra

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daywitt W. C.

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The integrals that describe the expectation values of the zero-point quantum-field-theoretic vacuum state are semi-infinite, as are the integrals for the stochastic electrodynamic vacuum. The unbounded upper limit to these integrals leads in turn to infinite energy densities and renormalization masses. A number of models have been put forward to truncate the integrals so that these densities and masses are finite. Unfortunately the truncation apparently destroys the Lorentz invariance of the integrals. This note argues that the integrals are naturally truncated by the graininess of the negative-energy Planck vacuum state from which the zero-point vacuum arises, and are thus automatically Lorentz invariant.

Spontaneously broken SU(2) gauge invariance and the ΔI=1/2 rule

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shito, Okiyasu

1977-01-01

A model of nonleptonic weak interactions is proposed which is based on spontaneously broken SU(2) gauge invariance. The SU(2) group is taken analogously to the U-spin. To this scheme, the source of nonleptonic decays consists of only neutral currents, and violation of strangeness stems from weak vector boson mixings. The model can provide a natural explanation of the ΔI=1/2 rule and of the bulk of the ΔI=1/2 nonleptonic amplitude. As a consequence, a picture is obtained that weak interactions originate in spontaneously broken gauge invariance under orthogonal SU(2) groups. Finally, a possibility of unifying weak and electromagnetic interactions is indicated. (auth.)

Quantum gravity vacuum and invariants of embedded spin networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mikovic, A

2003-01-01

We show that the path integral for the three-dimensional SU(2) BF theory with a Wilson loop or a spin network function inserted can be understood as the Rovelli-Smolin loop transform of a wavefunction in the Ashtekar connection representation, where the wavefunction satisfies the constraints of quantum general relativity with zero cosmological constant. This wavefunction is given as a product of the delta functions of the SU(2) field strength and therefore it can be naturally associated with a flat connection spacetime. The loop transform can be defined rigorously via the quantum SU(2) group, as a spin foam state sum model, so that one obtains invariants of spin networks embedded in a three-manifold. These invariants define a flat connection vacuum state in the q-deformed spin network basis. We then propose a modification of this construction in order to obtain a vacuum state corresponding to the flat metric spacetime

New dual conformally invariant off-shell integrals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, Dung; Spradlin, Marcus; Volovich, Anastasia

2008-01-01

Evidence has recently emerged for a hidden symmetry of planar scattering amplitudes in N=4 super-Yang-Mills theory called dual conformal symmetry. At weak coupling the presence of this symmetry has been observed through five loops, while at strong coupling the symmetry has been shown to have a natural interpretation in terms of a T-dualized AdS 5 . In this paper we study dual conformally invariant off-shell four-point Feynman diagrams. We classify all such diagrams through four loops and evaluate 10 new off-shell integrals in terms of Mellin-Barnes representations, also finding explicit expressions for their infrared singularities

Recent progress in invariant pattern recognition

Science.gov (United States)

Arsenault, Henri H.; Chang, S.; Gagne, Philippe; Gualdron Gonzalez, Oscar

1996-12-01

We present some recent results in invariant pattern recognition, including methods that are invariant under two or more distortions of position, orientation and scale. There are now a few methods that yield good results under changes of both rotation and scale. Some new methods are introduced. These include locally adaptive nonlinear matched filters, scale-adapted wavelet transforms and invariant filters for disjoint noise. Methods using neural networks will also be discussed, including an optical method that allows simultaneous classification of multiple targets.

Two Invariants of Human-Swarm Interaction

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-16

Goodrich, 2013; Kolling, Sycara, Nunnally, & Lewis, 2013). Nunnally et al. explore bandwidth constraints on swarm-to- human communications , but assume that...the human can communicate with all of the agents in the swarm (Nunnally et al., 2012). Walker et al. investigate communication la- tency between a...Claiming that the collective state is the fundamental percept requires that the human is able to perceive, understand , and influence the abstracted

Finite type invariants and fatgraphs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Jørgen Ellegaard; Bene, Alex; Meilhan, Jean-Baptiste Odet Thierry

2010-01-01

–Murakami–Ohtsuki of the link invariant of Andersen–Mattes–Reshetikhin computed relative to choices determined by the fatgraph G; this provides a basic connection between 2d geometry and 3d quantum topology. For each fixed G, this invariant is shown to be universal for homology cylinders, i.e., G establishes an isomorphism...

Ermakov–Lewis invariants and Reid systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mancas, Stefan C., E-mail: stefan.mancas@erau.edu [Department of Mathematics, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL 32114-3900 (United States); Rosu, Haret C., E-mail: hcr@ipicyt.edu.mx [IPICyT, Instituto Potosino de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnologica, Camino a la presa San José 2055, Col. Lomas 4a Sección, 78216 San Luis Potosí, S.L.P. (Mexico)

2014-06-13

Reid's mth-order generalized Ermakov systems of nonlinear coupling constant α are equivalent to an integrable Emden–Fowler equation. The standard Ermakov–Lewis invariant is discussed from this perspective, and a closed formula for the invariant is obtained for the higher-order Reid systems (m≥3). We also discuss the parametric solutions of these systems of equations through the integration of the Emden–Fowler equation and present an example of a dynamical system for which the invariant is equivalent to the total energy. - Highlights: • Reid systems of order m are connected to Emden–Fowler equations. • General expressions for the Ermakov–Lewis invariants both for m=2 and m≥3 are obtained. • Parametric solutions of the Emden–Fowler equations related to Reid systems are obtained.

Geometrical phases from global gauge invariance of nonlinear classical field theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garrison, J.C.; Chiao, R.Y.

1988-01-01

We show that the geometrical phases recently discovered in quantum mechanics also occur naturally in the theory of any classical complex multicomponent field satisfying nonlinear equations derived from a Lagrangean with is invariant under gauge transformations of the first kind. Some examples are the paraxial wave equation for nonlinear optics, and Ginzburg-Landau equations for complex order parameters in condensed-matter physics

Conformal invariance in the long-range Ising model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miguel F. Paulos

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We consider the question of conformal invariance of the long-range Ising model at the critical point. The continuum description is given in terms of a nonlocal field theory, and the absence of a stress tensor invalidates all of the standard arguments for the enhancement of scale invariance to conformal invariance. We however show that several correlation functions, computed to second order in the epsilon expansion, are nontrivially consistent with conformal invariance. We proceed to give a proof of conformal invariance to all orders in the epsilon expansion, based on the description of the long-range Ising model as a defect theory in an auxiliary higher-dimensional space. A detailed review of conformal invariance in the d-dimensional short-range Ising model is also included and may be of independent interest.

Conformal Invariance in the Long-Range Ising Model

CERN Document Server

Paulos, Miguel F; van Rees, Balt C; Zan, Bernardo

2016-01-01

We consider the question of conformal invariance of the long-range Ising model at the critical point. The continuum description is given in terms of a nonlocal field theory, and the absence of a stress tensor invalidates all of the standard arguments for the enhancement of scale invariance to conformal invariance. We however show that several correlation functions, computed to second order in the epsilon expansion, are nontrivially consistent with conformal invariance. We proceed to give a proof of conformal invariance to all orders in the epsilon expansion, based on the description of the long-range Ising model as a defect theory in an auxiliary higher-dimensional space. A detailed review of conformal invariance in the d-dimensional short-range Ising model is also included and may be of independent interest.

Conformal invariance in the long-range Ising model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paulos, Miguel F. [CERN, Theory Group, Geneva (Switzerland); Rychkov, Slava, E-mail: slava.rychkov@lpt.ens.fr [CERN, Theory Group, Geneva (Switzerland); Laboratoire de Physique Théorique de l' École Normale Supérieure (LPTENS), Paris (France); Faculté de Physique, Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC), Paris (France); Rees, Balt C. van [CERN, Theory Group, Geneva (Switzerland); Zan, Bernardo [Institute of Physics, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Amsterdam (Netherlands)

2016-01-15

We consider the question of conformal invariance of the long-range Ising model at the critical point. The continuum description is given in terms of a nonlocal field theory, and the absence of a stress tensor invalidates all of the standard arguments for the enhancement of scale invariance to conformal invariance. We however show that several correlation functions, computed to second order in the epsilon expansion, are nontrivially consistent with conformal invariance. We proceed to give a proof of conformal invariance to all orders in the epsilon expansion, based on the description of the long-range Ising model as a defect theory in an auxiliary higher-dimensional space. A detailed review of conformal invariance in the d-dimensional short-range Ising model is also included and may be of independent interest.

BRDF invariant stereo using light transport constancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Liang; Yang, Ruigang; Davis, James E

2007-09-01

Nearly all existing methods for stereo reconstruction assume that scene reflectance is Lambertian and make use of brightness constancy as a matching invariant. We introduce a new invariant for stereo reconstruction called light transport constancy (LTC), which allows completely arbitrary scene reflectance (bidirectional reflectance distribution functions (BRDFs)). This invariant can be used to formulate a rank constraint on multiview stereo matching when the scene is observed by several lighting configurations in which only the lighting intensity varies. In addition, we show that this multiview constraint can be used with as few as two cameras and two lighting configurations. Unlike previous methods for BRDF invariant stereo, LTC does not require precisely configured or calibrated light sources or calibration objects in the scene. Importantly, the new constraint can be used to provide BRDF invariance to any existing stereo method whenever appropriate lighting variation is available.

A scale invariance criterion for LES parametrizations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Urs Schaefer-Rolffs

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Turbulent kinetic energy cascades in fluid dynamical systems are usually characterized by scale invariance. However, representations of subgrid scales in large eddy simulations do not necessarily fulfill this constraint. So far, scale invariance has been considered in the context of isotropic, incompressible, and three-dimensional turbulence. In the present paper, the theory is extended to compressible flows that obey the hydrostatic approximation, as well as to corresponding subgrid-scale parametrizations. A criterion is presented to check if the symmetries of the governing equations are correctly translated into the equations used in numerical models. By applying scaling transformations to the model equations, relations between the scaling factors are obtained by demanding that the mathematical structure of the equations does not change.The criterion is validated by recovering the breakdown of scale invariance in the classical Smagorinsky model and confirming scale invariance for the Dynamic Smagorinsky Model. The criterion also shows that the compressible continuity equation is intrinsically scale-invariant. The criterion also proves that a scale-invariant turbulent kinetic energy equation or a scale-invariant equation of motion for a passive tracer is obtained only with a dynamic mixing length. For large-scale atmospheric flows governed by the hydrostatic balance the energy cascade is due to horizontal advection and the vertical length scale exhibits a scaling behaviour that is different from that derived for horizontal length scales.

Natural selection and infectious disease in human populations

Science.gov (United States)

Karlsson, Elinor K.; Kwiatkowski, Dominic P.; Sabeti, Pardis C.

2015-01-01

The ancient biological 'arms race' between microbial pathogens and humans has shaped genetic variation in modern populations, and this has important implications for the growing field of medical genomics. As humans migrated throughout the world, populations encountered distinct pathogens, and natural selection increased the prevalence of alleles that are advantageous in the new ecosystems in both host and pathogens. This ancient history now influences human infectious disease susceptibility and microbiome homeostasis, and contributes to common diseases that show geographical disparities, such as autoimmune and metabolic disorders. Using new high-throughput technologies, analytical methods and expanding public data resources, the investigation of natural selection is leading to new insights into the function and dysfunction of human biology. PMID:24776769

A scale invariant clustering of genes on human chromosome 7

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kendal Wayne S

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Vertebrate genes often appear to cluster within the background of nontranscribed genomic DNA. Here an analysis of the physical distribution of gene structures on human chromosome 7 was performed to confirm the presence of clustering, and to elucidate possible underlying statistical and biological mechanisms. Results Clustering of genes was confirmed by virtue of a variance of the number of genes per unit physical length that exceeded the respective mean. Further evidence for clustering came from a power function relationship between the variance and mean that possessed an exponent of 1.51. This power function implied that the spatial distribution of genes on chromosome 7 was scale invariant, and that the underlying statistical distribution had a Poisson-gamma (PG form. A PG distribution for the spatial scattering of genes was validated by stringent comparisons of both the predicted variance to mean power function and its cumulative distribution function to data derived from chromosome 7. Conclusion The PG distribution was consistent with at least two different biological models: In the microrearrangement model, the number of genes per unit length of chromosome represented the contribution of a random number of smaller chromosomal segments that had originated by random breakage and reconstruction of more primitive chromosomes. Each of these smaller segments would have necessarily contained (on average a gamma distributed number of genes. In the gene cluster model, genes would be scattered randomly to begin with. Over evolutionary timescales, tandem duplication, mutation, insertion, deletion and rearrangement could act at these gene sites through a stochastic birth death and immigration process to yield a PG distribution. On the basis of the gene position data alone it was not possible to identify the biological model which best explained the observed clustering. However, the underlying PG statistical model implicated neutral

Construction of time-dependent dynamical invariants: A new approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertin, M. C.; Pimentel, B. M.; Ramirez, J. A.

2012-01-01

We propose a new way to obtain polynomial dynamical invariants of the classical and quantum time-dependent harmonic oscillator from the equations of motion. We also establish relations between linear and quadratic invariants, and discuss how the quadratic invariant can be related to the Ermakov invariant.

On the normativity of human nature: some epistemological remarks.

Science.gov (United States)

Corradini, Antonella

2003-04-01

This paper examines the role played by the concept of human nature in ethical theory. The focus is on the epistemological problems that arise from application of this notion to the foundation of ethics. From this viewpoint, two theories, the neoscholastic and the neoclassical ones, are expounded, analyzed and compared. The aim is to highlight their opposite ways of relating the "ought-to-be" (of norms) to the "is" (of human nature). The conclusion is drawn that an adequate solution of the dispute depends on a correct interpretation of Hume's law. Reflection is conducted in the last section on the implications of metaethical discourse on human nature for applied ethics.

Wavelet-based moment invariants for pattern recognition

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Guangyi; Xie, Wenfang

2011-07-01

Moment invariants have received a lot of attention as features for identification and inspection of two-dimensional shapes. In this paper, two sets of novel moments are proposed by using the auto-correlation of wavelet functions and the dual-tree complex wavelet functions. It is well known that the wavelet transform lacks the property of shift invariance. A little shift in the input signal will cause very different output wavelet coefficients. The autocorrelation of wavelet functions and the dual-tree complex wavelet functions, on the other hand, are shift-invariant, which is very important in pattern recognition. Rotation invariance is the major concern in this paper, while translation invariance and scale invariance can be achieved by standard normalization techniques. The Gaussian white noise is added to the noise-free images and the noise levels vary with different signal-to-noise ratios. Experimental results conducted in this paper show that the proposed wavelet-based moments outperform Zernike's moments and the Fourier-wavelet descriptor for pattern recognition under different rotation angles and different noise levels. It can be seen that the proposed wavelet-based moments can do an excellent job even when the noise levels are very high.

Novel topological invariants and anomalies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirayama, M.; Sugimasa, N.

1987-01-01

It is shown that novel topological invariants are associated with a class of Dirac operators. Trace formulas which are similar to but different from Callias's formula are derived. Implications of these topological invariants to anomalies in quantum field theory are discussed. A new class of anomalies are calculated for two models: one is two dimensional and the other four dimensional

Wilson loop invariants from WN conformal blocks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oleg Alekseev

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Knot and link polynomials are topological invariants calculated from the expectation value of loop operators in topological field theories. In 3D Chern–Simons theory, these invariants can be found from crossing and braiding matrices of four-point conformal blocks of the boundary 2D CFT. We calculate crossing and braiding matrices for WN conformal blocks with one component in the fundamental representation and another component in a rectangular representation of SU(N, which can be used to obtain HOMFLY knot and link invariants for these cases. We also discuss how our approach can be generalized to invariants in higher-representations of WN algebra.

On the nature and meaning of human finitude.

Science.gov (United States)

Frie, Roger

2013-06-01

This article considers the interaction between psychoanalysis and philosophy by examining the meaning of human finitude in the work of Freud and Heidegger. Although Freud and Heidegger develop radically different systems of thought, they are surprisingly close in their examination of the human attitude toward death. Freud's philosophical reflections on the nature of death are ultimately subsumed in his speculative theory of the death instinct, which is far removed from the lived experience of finitude. Heidegger's ontological account of death draws from lived experience but neglects the relational nature of finitude. Drawing on the connection between the work of Binswanger and Stolorow, I maintain that finitude is a fundamentally relational phenomenon. While philosophy can help us to understand and formulate an account of human finitude, the relational nature of psychoanalysis can help us bear the trauma associated with death.

Invariants of triangular Lie algebras

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyko, Vyacheslav; Patera, Jiri; Popovych, Roman

2007-01-01

Triangular Lie algebras are the Lie algebras which can be faithfully represented by triangular matrices of any finite size over the real/complex number field. In the paper invariants ('generalized Casimir operators') are found for three classes of Lie algebras, namely those which are either strictly or non-strictly triangular, and for so-called special upper triangular Lie algebras. Algebraic algorithm of Boyko et al (2006 J. Phys. A: Math. Gen.39 5749 (Preprint math-ph/0602046)), developed further in Boyko et al (2007 J. Phys. A: Math. Theor.40 113 (Preprint math-ph/0606045)), is used to determine the invariants. A conjecture of Tremblay and Winternitz (2001 J. Phys. A: Math. Gen.34 9085), concerning the number of independent invariants and their form, is corroborated

Homo Ethicus : Understanding the Human Nature that Underlies ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Abstract. The themes of human rights and human rights education in South Africa's multi-cultural society are central to the work of Cornelia Roux. This article discusses the human reality and ethics underlying those themes, using an approach based on a view of human nature. It has six sections, starting with an introduction ...

Action priors for learning domain invariances

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Rosman, Benjamin S

2015-04-01

Full Text Available behavioural invariances in the domain, by identifying actions to be prioritised in local contexts, invariant to task details. This information has the effect of greatly increasing the speed of solving new problems. We formalise this notion as action priors...

Maxwell equations in conformal invariant electrodynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fradkin, E.S.; AN SSSR, Novosibirsk. Inst. Avtomatiki i Ehlektrometrii); Kozhevnikov, A.A.; Palchik, M.Ya.; Pomeransky, A.A.

1983-01-01

We consider a conformal invariant formulation of quantum electrodynamics. Conformal invariance is achieved with a specific mathematical construction based on the indecomposable representations of the conformal group associated with the electromagnetic potential and current. As a corolary of this construction modified expressions for the 3-point Green functions are obtained which both contain transverse parts. They make it possible to formulate a conformal invariant skeleton perturbation theory. It is also shown that the Euclidean Maxwell equations in conformal electrodynamics are manifestations of its kinematical structure: in the case of the 3-point Green functions these equations follow (up to constants) from the conformal invariance while in the case of higher Green functions they are equivalent to the equality of the kernels of the partial wave expansions. This is the manifestation of the mathematical fast of a (partial) equivalence of the representations associated with the potential, current and the field tensor. (orig.)

Sp(2) BRST invariant quantization of strings: The harmonic gauge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Latorre, J.I.; Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge

1988-01-01

We analyze the mixed algebra of local diffeomorphisms and Weyl transformations for bosonic strings. BRST and anti-BRST operators are then constructed keeping a manifest Sp(2) invariance. The harmonic gauge arises as a natural gauge choice. All this work is redone in the presence of a two-dimensional background metric. We manage to write down a simple action, to compute the stress tensor and to work out the critical dimensions. (orig.)

Mixed Signals: Co-Stimulation in Invariant Natural Killer T Cell-Mediated Cancer Immunotherapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susannah C. Shissler

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Invariant natural killer T (iNKT cells are an integral component of the immune system and play an important role in antitumor immunity. Upon activation, iNKT cells can directly kill malignant cells as well as rapidly produce cytokines that stimulate other immune cells, making them a front line defense against tumorigenesis. Unfortunately, iNKT cell number and activity are reduced in multiple cancer types. This anergy is often associated with upregulation of co-inhibitory markers such as programmed death-1. Similar to conventional T cells, iNKT cells are influenced by the conditions of their activation. Conventional T cells receive signals through the following three types of receptors: (1 T cell receptor (TCR, (2 co-stimulation molecules, and (3 cytokine receptors. Unlike conventional T cells, which recognize peptide antigen presented by MHC class I or II, the TCRs of iNKT cells recognize lipid antigen in the context of the antigen presentation molecule CD1d (Signal 1. Co-stimulatory molecules can positively and negatively influence iNKT cell activation and function and skew the immune response (Signal 2. This study will review the background of iNKT cells and their co-stimulatory requirements for general function and in antitumor immunity. We will explore the impact of monoclonal antibody administration for both blocking inhibitory pathways and engaging stimulatory pathways on iNKT cell-mediated antitumor immunity. This review will highlight the incorporation of co-stimulatory molecules in antitumor dendritic cell vaccine strategies. The use of co-stimulatory intracellular signaling domains in chimeric antigen receptor-iNKT therapy will be assessed. Finally, we will explore the influence of innate-like receptors and modification of immunosuppressive cytokines (Signal 3 on cancer immunotherapy.

Embedded graph invariants in Chern-Simons theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Major, Seth A.

1999-01-01

Chern-Simons gauge theory, since its inception as a topological quantum field theory, has proved to be a rich source of understanding for knot invariants. In this work the theory is used to explore the definition of the expectation value of a network of Wilson lines -- an embedded graph invariant. Using a generalization of the variational method, lowest-order results for invariants for graphs of arbitrary valence and general vertex tangent space structure are derived. Gauge invariant operators are introduced. Higher order results are found. The method used here provides a Vassiliev-type definition of graph invariants which depend on both the embedding of the graph and the group structure of the gauge theory. It is found that one need not frame individual vertices. However, without a global projection of the graph there is an ambiguity in the relation of the decomposition of distinct vertices. It is suggested that framing may be seen as arising from this ambiguity -- as a way of relating frames at distinct vertices

Biological and social understanding of human nature: biopolitical dimension

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. K. Kostiuchkov

2014-07-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the position of the biopolitical nature of man as a biosocial being given supplies of both the two spheres of life – natural, biological and social. The necessity of understanding of human nature, which by definition are bio-social importance of the approach to the definition of man as an integral, binary-konnotovanoyi of the «social individual – a species» which is characterized by symmetrical opposition – upposition social and biological. It was found that the main task of modern political science, and in particular bio-political studies presented appeals to rethink the political picture of the world in order to predict the development of a new order or a new chaos. Understanding the formation of a new global civilization worldview is today one of the most important problems, which is connected with the main problem of the modern world – the task of preserving life on the planet. It is concluded that the contradictions of human nature – between the biological and the social, physical and spiritual, universal and the particular, natural and artificial, rational and emotional – in today’s conditions are extremely sharp. The said situation requires more in-depth scientific analysis of human nature, the study of the structural level as human biosocial system.

Relating measurement invariance, cross-level invariance, and multilevel reliability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jak, S.; Jorgensen, T.D.

2017-01-01

Data often have a nested, multilevel structure, for example when data are collected from children in classrooms. This kind of data complicate the evaluation of reliability and measurement invariance, because several properties can be evaluated at both the individual level and the cluster level, as

Transformation de Fourier et moments invariants appliqués à la reconnaissance des caractères Tifinaghe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rachid El Ayachi

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Optical Character Recognition OCR is a tool that aims to provide opportunities for computers to read characters without human intervention. The objective of OCR is characterization of a character by invariant descriptors in translation, rotation and scaling. In this paper, the OCR developed use invariant moments and Fourier transform in extraction phase. In the recognition phase, dynamic programming and neural network are adopted. All tests are applied on Tifinaghe printed characters.

Conformal invariance and two-dimensional physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zuber, J.B.

1993-01-01

Actually, physicists and mathematicians are very interested in conformal invariance: geometric transformations which keep angles. This symmetry is very important for two-dimensional systems as phase transitions, string theory or node mathematics. In this article, the author presents the conformal invariance and explains its usefulness

Pattern recognition: invariants in 3D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Proriol, J.

1992-01-01

In e + e - events, the jets have a spherical 3D symmetry. A set of invariants are defined for 3D objects with a spherical symmetry. These new invariants are used to tag the number of jets in e + e - events. (K.A.) 3 refs

A test for ordinal measurement invariance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ligtvoet, R.; Millsap, R.E.; Bolt, D.M.; van der Ark, L.A.; Wang, W.-C.

2015-01-01

One problem with the analysis of measurement invariance is the reliance of the analysis on having a parametric model that accurately describes the data. In this paper an ordinal version of the property of measurement invariance is proposed, which relies only on nonparametric restrictions. This

A scale invariant covariance structure on jet space

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Kim Steenstrup; Loog, Marco; Markussen, Bo

2005-01-01

This paper considers scale invariance of statistical image models. We study statistical scale invariance of the covariance structure of jet space under scale space blurring and derive the necessary structure and conditions of the jet covariance matrix in order for it to be scale invariant. As par...

Inflation in a Scale Invariant Universe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferreira, Pedro G. [Oxford U.; Hill, Christopher T. [Fermilab; Noller, Johannes [Zurich U.; Ross, Graham G. [Oxford U., Theor. Phys.

2018-02-16

A scale-invariant universe can have a period of accelerated expansion at early times: inflation. We use a frame-invariant approach to calculate inflationary observables in a scale invariant theory of gravity involving two scalar fields - the spectral indices, the tensor to scalar ratio, the level of isocurvature modes and non-Gaussianity. We show that scale symmetry leads to an exact cancellation of isocurvature modes and that, in the scale-symmetry broken phase, this theory is well described by a single scalar field theory. We find the predictions of this theory strongly compatible with current observations.

Adiabatic invariants of the extended KdV equation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karczewska, Anna [Faculty of Mathematics, Computer Science and Econometrics, University of Zielona Góra, Szafrana 4a, 65-246 Zielona Góra (Poland); Rozmej, Piotr, E-mail: p.rozmej@if.uz.zgora.pl [Institute of Physics, Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, University of Zielona Góra, Szafrana 4a, 65-246 Zielona Góra (Poland); Infeld, Eryk [National Centre for Nuclear Research, Hoża 69, 00-681 Warszawa (Poland); Rowlands, George [Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7A (United Kingdom)

2017-01-30

When the Euler equations for shallow water are taken to the next order, beyond KdV, momentum and energy are no longer exact invariants. (The only one is mass.) However, adiabatic invariants (AI) can be found. When the KdV expansion parameters are zero, exact invariants are recovered. Existence of adiabatic invariants results from general theory of near-identity transformations (NIT) which allow us to transform higher order nonintegrable equations to asymptotically equivalent (when small parameters tend to zero) integrable form. Here we present a direct method of calculations of adiabatic invariants. It does not need a transformation to a moving reference frame nor performing a near-identity transformation. Numerical tests show that deviations of AI from constant values are indeed small. - Highlights: • We suggest a new and simple method for calculating adiabatic invariants of second order wave equations. • It is easy to use and we hope that it will be useful if published. • Interesting numerics included.

Exceptionalist naturalism: Human agency and the causal order.

Science.gov (United States)

Turri, John

2018-02-01

This paper addresses a fundamental question in folk metaphysics: How do we ordinarily view human agency? According to the transcendence account, we view human agency as standing outside of the causal order and imbued with exceptional powers. According to a naturalistic account, we view human agency as subject to the same physical laws as other objects and completely open to scientific investigation. According to exceptionalist naturalism, the truth lies somewhere in between: We view human agency as fitting broadly within the causal order while still being exceptional in important respects. In this paper, I report seven experiments designed to decide between these three competing theories. Across a variety of contexts and types of action, participants agreed that human agents can resist outcomes described as inevitable, guaranteed, and causally determined. Participants viewed non-human animal agents similarly, whereas they viewed computers, robots, and simple inanimate objects differently. At the same time, participants judged that human actions are caused by many things, including psychological, neurological, and social events. Overall, in folk metaphysics, human and non-human animals are viewed as exceptional parts of the natural world.

Gromov-Witten invariants and localization

Science.gov (United States)

Morrison, David R.

2017-11-01

We give a pedagogical review of the computation of Gromov-Witten invariants via localization in 2D gauged linear sigma models. We explain the relationship between the two-sphere partition function of the theory and the Kähler potential on the conformal manifold. We show how the Kähler potential can be assembled from classical, perturbative, and non-perturbative contributions, and explain how the non-perturbative contributions are related to the Gromov-Witten invariants of the corresponding Calabi-Yau manifold. We then explain how localization enables efficient calculation of the two-sphere partition function and, ultimately, the Gromov-Witten invariants themselves. This is a contribution to the review issue ‘Localization techniques in quantum field theories’ (ed V Pestun and M Zabzine) which contains 17 chapters, available at [1].

Testing Lorentz invariance of dark matter

CERN Document Server

Blas, Diego; Sibiryakov, Sergey

2012-01-01

We study the possibility to constrain deviations from Lorentz invariance in dark matter (DM) with cosmological observations. Breaking of Lorentz invariance generically introduces new light gravitational degrees of freedom, which we represent through a dynamical timelike vector field. If DM does not obey Lorentz invariance, it couples to this vector field. We find that this coupling affects the inertial mass of small DM halos which no longer satisfy the equivalence principle. For large enough lumps of DM we identify a (chameleon) mechanism that restores the inertial mass to its standard value. As a consequence, the dynamics of gravitational clustering are modified. Two prominent effects are a scale dependent enhancement in the growth of large scale structure and a scale dependent bias between DM and baryon density perturbations. The comparison with the measured linear matter power spectrum in principle allows to bound the departure from Lorentz invariance of DM at the per cent level.

Testing Lorentz invariance of dark matter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blas, Diego [Theory Group, Physics Department, CERN, CH-1211 Geneva 23 (Switzerland); Ivanov, Mikhail M.; Sibiryakov, Sergey, E-mail: diego.blas@cern.ch, E-mail: mm.ivanov@physics.msu.ru, E-mail: sibir@inr.ac.ru [Faculty of Physics, Moscow State University, Vorobjevy Gory, 119991 Moscow (Russian Federation)

2012-10-01

We study the possibility to constrain deviations from Lorentz invariance in dark matter (DM) with cosmological observations. Breaking of Lorentz invariance generically introduces new light gravitational degrees of freedom, which we represent through a dynamical timelike vector field. If DM does not obey Lorentz invariance, it couples to this vector field. We find that this coupling affects the inertial mass of small DM halos which no longer satisfy the equivalence principle. For large enough lumps of DM we identify a (chameleon) mechanism that restores the inertial mass to its standard value. As a consequence, the dynamics of gravitational clustering are modified. Two prominent effects are a scale dependent enhancement in the growth of large scale structure and a scale dependent bias between DM and baryon density perturbations. The comparison with the measured linear matter power spectrum in principle allows to bound the departure from Lorentz invariance of DM at the per cent level.

Empowering Learning through Natural, Human, and Building Ecologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Kobet, Robert J.

This article asserts that it is critical to understand the connections between human ecology and building ecology to create humane environments that show inspiration and creativity and that also serve diverse needs. It calls for efforts to: (1) construct an environmental education approach that fuses the three ecologies (natural, human, and…

Affine invariants of convex polygons.

Science.gov (United States)

Flusser, Jan

2002-01-01

In this correspondence, we prove that the affine invariants, for image registration and object recognition, proposed recently by Yang and Cohen (see ibid., vol.8, no.7, p.934-46, July 1999) are algebraically dependent. We show how to select an independent and complete set of the invariants. The use of this new set leads to a significant reduction of the computing complexity without decreasing the discrimination power.

Augmented superfield approach to gauge-invariant massive 2-form theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, R.; Krishna, S.

2017-01-01

We discuss the complete sets of the off-shell nilpotent (i.e. s 2 (a)b = 0) and absolutely anticommuting (i.e. s b s ab + s ab s b = 0) Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin (BRST) (s b ) and anti-BRST (s ab ) symmetries for the (3 + 1)-dimensional (4D) gauge-invariant massive 2-form theory within the framework of an augmented superfield approach to the BRST formalism. In this formalism, we obtain the coupled (but equivalent) Lagrangian densities which respect both BRST and anti-BRST symmetries on the constrained hypersurface defined by the Curci-Ferrari type conditions. The absolute anticommutativity property of the (anti-) BRST transformations (and corresponding generators) is ensured by the existence of the Curci-Ferrari type conditions which emerge very naturally in this formalism. Furthermore, the gauge-invariant restriction plays a decisive role in deriving the proper(anti-) BRST transformations for the Stueckelberg-like vector field. (orig.)

Augmented superfield approach to gauge-invariant massive 2-form theory

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, R.; Krishna, S.

2017-06-01

We discuss the complete sets of the off-shell nilpotent (i.e. s^2_{(a)b} = 0) and absolutely anticommuting (i.e. s_b s_{ab} + s_{ab} s_b = 0) Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin (BRST) (s_b) and anti-BRST (s_{ab}) symmetries for the (3+1)-dimensional (4D) gauge-invariant massive 2-form theory within the framework of an augmented superfield approach to the BRST formalism. In this formalism, we obtain the coupled (but equivalent) Lagrangian densities which respect both BRST and anti-BRST symmetries on the constrained hypersurface defined by the Curci-Ferrari type conditions. The absolute anticommutativity property of the (anti-) BRST transformations (and corresponding generators) is ensured by the existence of the Curci-Ferrari type conditions which emerge very naturally in this formalism. Furthermore, the gauge-invariant restriction plays a decisive role in deriving the proper (anti-) BRST transformations for the Stückelberg-like vector field.

Two-loop scale-invariant scalar potential and quantum effective operators

CERN Document Server

Ghilencea, D.M.

2016-11-29

Spontaneous breaking of quantum scale invariance may provide a solution to the hierarchy and cosmological constant problems. In a scale-invariant regularization, we compute the two-loop potential of a higgs-like scalar $\\phi$ in theories in which scale symmetry is broken only spontaneously by the dilaton ($\\sigma$). Its vev $\\langle\\sigma\\rangle$ generates the DR subtraction scale ($\\mu\\sim\\langle\\sigma\\rangle$), which avoids the explicit scale symmetry breaking by traditional regularizations (where $\\mu$=fixed scale). The two-loop potential contains effective operators of non-polynomial nature as well as new corrections, beyond those obtained with explicit breaking ($\\mu$=fixed scale). These operators have the form: $\\phi^6/\\sigma^2$, $\\phi^8/\\sigma^4$, etc, which generate an infinite series of higher dimensional polynomial operators upon expansion about $\\langle\\sigma\\rangle\\gg \\langle\\phi\\rangle$, where such hierarchy is arranged by {\\it one} initial, classical tuning. These operators emerge at the quantum...

Augmented superfield approach to gauge-invariant massive 2-form theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, R. [University of Delhi, Department of Physics and Astrophysics, New Delhi (India); Krishna, S. [Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Manauli, Punjab (India)

2017-06-15

We discuss the complete sets of the off-shell nilpotent (i.e. s{sup 2}{sub (a)b} = 0) and absolutely anticommuting (i.e. s{sub b}s{sub ab} + s{sub ab}s{sub b} = 0) Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin (BRST) (s{sub b}) and anti-BRST (s{sub ab}) symmetries for the (3 + 1)-dimensional (4D) gauge-invariant massive 2-form theory within the framework of an augmented superfield approach to the BRST formalism. In this formalism, we obtain the coupled (but equivalent) Lagrangian densities which respect both BRST and anti-BRST symmetries on the constrained hypersurface defined by the Curci-Ferrari type conditions. The absolute anticommutativity property of the (anti-) BRST transformations (and corresponding generators) is ensured by the existence of the Curci-Ferrari type conditions which emerge very naturally in this formalism. Furthermore, the gauge-invariant restriction plays a decisive role in deriving the proper(anti-) BRST transformations for the Stueckelberg-like vector field. (orig.)

Conformal invariance in supergravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergshoeff, E.A.

1983-01-01

In this thesis the author explains the role of conformal invariance in supergravity. He presents the complete structure of extended conformal supergravity for N <= 4. The outline of this work is as follows. In chapter 2 he briefly summarizes the essential properties of supersymmetry and supergravity and indicates the use of conformal invariance in supergravity. The idea that the introduction of additional symmetry transformations can make clear the structure of a field theory is not reserved to supergravity only. By means of some simple examples it is shown in chapter 3 how one can always introduce additional gauge transformations in a theory of massive vector fields. Moreover it is shown how the gauge invariant formulation sometimes explains the quantum mechanical properties of the theory. In chapter 4 the author defines the conformal transformations and summarizes their main properties. He explains how these conformal transformations can be used to analyse the structure of gravity. The supersymmetric extension of these results is discussed in chapter 5. Here he describes as an example how N=1 supergravity can be reformulated in a conformally-invariant way. He also shows that beyond N=1 the gauge fields of the superconformal symmetries do not constitute an off-shell field representation of extended conformal supergravity. Therefore, in chapter 6, a systematic method to construct the off-shell formulation of all extended conformal supergravity theories with N <= 4 is developed. As an example he uses this method to construct N=1 conformal supergravity. Finally, in chapter 7 N=4 conformal supergravity is discussed. (Auth.)

Contemporary assumptions on human nature and work and approach to human potential managing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vujić Dobrila

2006-01-01

Full Text Available A general problem of this research is to identify if there is a relationship between the assumption on human nature and work (Mcgregor, Argyris, Schein, Steers and Porter and a general organizational model preference, as well as a mechanism of human resource management? This research was carried out in 2005/2006. The sample consisted of 317 subjects (197 managers, 105 highly educated subordinates and 15 entrepreneurs in 7 big enterprises in a group of small business enterprises differentiating in terms of the entrepreneur’s structure and a type of activity. A general hypothesis "that assumptions on human nature and work are statistically significant in connection to the preference approach (models, of work motivation commitment", has been confirmed. A specific hypothesis have been also confirmed: ·The assumptions on a human as a rational economic being are statistically significant in correlation with only two mechanisms of traditional models, the mechanism of method work control and the working discipline mechanism. ·Statistically significant assumptions on a human as a social being are correlated with all mechanisms of engaging employees, which belong to the model of the human relations, except the mechanism introducing the adequate type of prizes for all employees independently of working results. ·The assumptions on a human as a creative being are statistically significant, positively correlating with preference of two mechanisms belonging to the human resource model by investing into education and training and making conditions for the application of knowledge and skills. The young with assumptions on a human as a creative being prefer much broader repertoire of mechanisms belonging to the human resources model from the remaining category of subjects in the pattern. The connection between the assumption on human nature and preference models of engaging appears especially in the sub-pattern of managers, in the category of young subjects

Object recognition by implicit invariants

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Flusser, Jan; Kautsky, J.; Šroubek, Filip

2007-01-01

Roč. 2007, č. 4673 (2007), s. 856-863 ISSN 0302-9743. [Computer Analysis of Images and Patterns. Vienna, 27.08.2007-29.08.2007] R&D Projects: GA MŠk 1M0572 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : Invariants * implicit invariants * moments * orthogonal polynomials * nonlinear object deformation Subject RIV: JD - Computer Applications, Robotics Impact factor: 0.402, year: 2005 http:// staff .utia.cas.cz/sroubekf/papers/CAIP_07.pdf

INHUMAN HUMAN NATURE: LOIS LOWRY’S THE GIVER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oznur Cengiz

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Lois Lowry (1937- is a prolific author having a number of books – Number the Stars (1989, Gathering Blue (2000, and Messenger (2004 – and awards especially in the field of children’s literature. Her significant science fiction novel, The Giver (1993, presents a social panorama in order to thoroughly analyze the society’s mechanical life style. As an example of dystopia, the author delineates a systematically organized social order where people abide by the rules naturally. Nevertheless, Jonas, the protagonist and Receiver of Memory, is the first person to discern robotic/mechanical order in the society which is transformed into “sameness” eliminating all individual differences and emotions such as pain, happiness, cold, colors, and so on. Therefore, Receiver of Memory storing past memories of the society is the only one who is aware of human characteristics. The crucial point is that human figure, far from the current one, displays inhuman (non-human features without memories and hope. Mechanical association between individuals and social structure ascertains artificial form of life in which there is no chance to choose. After learning truths behind the strict order, Jonas is in pursuit of real world with all kinds of feelings; however, his recognition is not able to change the whole society. Hence, this paper aims at delving into the relationship between human nature and society with regard to posthuman approach and inhuman human form in accordance with transformation of human nature.

Modular invariance, chiral anomalies and contact terms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kutasov, D.

1988-03-01

The chiral anomaly in heterotic strings with full and partial modular invariance in D=2n+2 dimensions is calculated. The boundary terms which were present in previous calculations are shown to be cancelled in the modular invariant case by contact terms, which can be obtained by an appropriate analytic continuation. The relation to the low energy field theory is explained. In theories with partial modular invariance, an expression for the anomaly is obtained and shown to be non zero in general. (author)

DESCARTES’ COMPREHENSION OF HUMAN NATURE IN «DISCOURSE ON THE METHOD»

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. M. Malivskyi

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the article is to analyze the text "Discourse on the Method" as one of the first experiences of understanding human’s nature in modern age philosophy. The condition of realization the designated purpose is to solve the following problems: 1 To Define the diversity of Descartes position on the issue of essentiality to the true knowledge of human nature; 2 To find out the manner influence of methodology of understanding the mathematical truth to the way of interpretation of human nature; 3 To clarify the question of Descartes awareness of boundaries rationalist methodology in understanding of human nature. Methodology. As the methodological base is proposed to use the heuristic potential of phenomenology and existentialism, as well as those publications of foreign Descartes’ researchers of recent times, which introduce the new way for understanding of Descartes’ philosophical heritage. Scientific novelty. For the first time ever in the scientific literature Descartes text "Discourse on Method" becomes the object of special attention as a form of deployment the substantial request for the development of the anthropological project. The affinity and heredity of philosophical doctrines of Aristotle and Descartes on the problem of human nature are accented that is the recognition of the key importance of the need for truth in human nature. It is argued that beyond Descartes’ vision there was no limitation of rationalistic methodology during the comprehension of human nature. Conclusions. The implemented analysis confirms the validity of the thesis about text of the "Discourse on Method" by Descartes as a request of substantial unfolding of the anthropological project. The determining influence methodology of comprehension the mathematical truths to the way of interpretation of human nature were shown. The fact of Descartes’ awareness the limitation of methodology of mathematics in the understanding of human nature and

Strong coupling in a gauge invariant field theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, K. [Physics Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (United States)

1963-01-15

I would like to discuss some approximations which may be significant in the domain of strong coupling in a field system analogous to quantum electrodynamics. The motivation of this work is the idea that the strong couplings and elementary particle spectrum may be the consequence of the dynamics of a system whose underlying description is in terms of a set of Fermi fields gauge invariantly coupled to a single (''bare'') massless neutral vector field. The basis of this gauge invariance would of course be the exact conservation law of baryons or ''nucleonic charge''. It seems to me that a coupling scheme based on an invariance principle is most attractive if that invariance is an exact one. It would then be nice to try to account for the approximate invariance principles in the same way one would describe ''accidental degeneracies'' in any quantum system.

Nature and Nurture of Human Pain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Inna Belfer

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Humans are very different when it comes to pain. Some get painful piercings and tattoos; others can not stand even a flu shot. Interindividual variability is one of the main characteristics of human pain on every level including the processing of nociceptive impulses at the periphery, modification of pain signal in the central nervous system, perception of pain, and response to analgesic strategies. As for many other complex behaviors, the sources of this variability come from both nurture (environment and nature (genes. Here, I will discuss how these factors contribute to human pain separately and via interplay and how epigenetic mechanisms add to the complexity of their effects.

Quantum Hall Conductivity and Topological Invariants

Science.gov (United States)

Reyes, Andres

2001-04-01

A short survey of the theory of the Quantum Hall effect is given emphasizing topological aspects of the quantization of the conductivity and showing how topological invariants can be derived from the hamiltonian. We express these invariants in terms of Chern numbers and show in precise mathematical terms how this relates to the Kubo formula.

Human nature: neither material nor spiritually being

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Alba Martínez Amorós

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The idea of «human nature» defended by Ortega y Gasset is as original as opposite to what is usually understood. We are making a mistake if the starting point is to conceive Man as one living being among others. Neither science nor philosophy, while remaining in the Eleatic tradition, can give a clear explanation. Science, because if we look at Man, as he is presented to us, it is impossible to distinguish in him materially from spiritually; his body and his psyche. Philosophy, because the concept of «human nature» is an invention of our reason, a fantasy. That nature doesn’t exist because the being of man is so strange and different from other beings that its consistency is just going to be what it never manages to be. Therefore, it is what happens, a journey, a history that is running within a circumstance. This is my life, and that of everyone.

Quantized gauge invariant periodic TDHF solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kan, K.-K.; Griffin, J.J.; Lichtner, P.C.; Dworzecka, M.

1979-01-01

Time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) is used to study steady state large amplitude nuclear collective motions, such as vibration and rotation. As is well known the small amplitude TDHF leads to the RPA equation. The analysis of periodicity in TDHF is not trivial because TDHF is a nonlinear theory and it is not known under what circumstances a nonlinear theory can support periodic solutions. It is also unknown whether such periodic solution, if they exist, form a continuous or a discrete set. But, these properties may be important in obtaining the energy spectrum of the collective states from the TDHF description. The periodicity and Gauge Invariant Periodicity of solutions are investigated for that class of models whose TDHF solutions depend on time through two parameters. In such models TDHF supports a continuous family of periodic solutions, but only a discrete subset of these is gauge invariant. These discrete Gauge Invariant Periodic solutions obey the Bohr-Summerfeld quantization rule. The energy spectrum of the Gauge Invariant Periodic solutions is compared with the exact eigenergies in one specific example

Classification of simple current invariants

CERN Document Server

Gato-Rivera, Beatriz

1992-01-01

We summarize recent work on the classification of modular invariant partition functions that can be obtained with simple currents in theories with a center (Z_p)^k with p prime. New empirical results for other centers are also presented. Our observation that the total number of invariants is monodromy-independent for (Z_p)^k appears to be true in general as well. (Talk presented in the parallel session on string theory of the Lepton-Photon/EPS Conference, Geneva, 1991.)

On the invariant theory of Weingarten surfaces in Euclidean space

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ganchev, Georgi; Mihova, Vesselka

2010-01-01

On any Weingarten surface in Euclidean space (strongly regular or rotational), we introduce locally geometric principal parameters and prove that such a surface is determined uniquely up to a motion by a special invariant function, which satisfies a natural nonlinear partial differential equation. This result can be interpreted as a solution to the Lund-Regge reduction problem for Weingarten surfaces in Euclidean space. We apply this theory to fractional-linear Weingarten surfaces and obtain the nonlinear partial differential equations describing them.

The invariance of second-order functionals revisited

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Battezzati, M.

1984-01-01

In this paper some invariance properties of certain homogeneous functional forms of perturbative second-order energies with respect to transformations on the arguments are briefly considered. It has been shown that, if this energy is regarded as an Hamiltonian governing the time evolution of the arguments, which are the components of the first-order perturbed functions, the x and y couples play naturally the role of canonically conjugated co-ordinates and momenta. A search has been made for those linear transformations on these functions which preserve the above duality or reciprocity relations. It has been found that certain canonical transformations are of this type. In particular, the spinorial covariant-contravariant transformations for rotations in four-dimensional space-time

The natural radioactivity of plants, animals and humans. 3. enl. ed.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schewtschenko, I.N.; Danilenko, A.I.

2007-01-01

The natural radioactivity of plants, animals and humans are of important scientific relevance for radiobiology and medicine. The possible effects of micro doses during life span are still controversially discussed. Part I of the book (the natural radioactivity of plants, animals and humans for the normal case and in case of pathological changes) covers the following topics: the natural radioisotopes in living organisms (plants, animals, humans) and their environment; methodologies of qualitative and quantitative determination of beta-activity in biological objects; the radioactivity of atmospheric precipitations; the beta-activity of plants; the beta-activity of animals; beta-activity of human organs and tissues. Part II (dynamics of radionuclides in the biological chains in the period 1960 to 2007): the modern conceptions on the biological role of natural radioactive elements, biological indications during early stages of low-dose ionizing irradiation; the radioactivity of the human blood; radiation and carcerogenesis

Development of novel tasks for studying view-invariant object recognition in rodents: Sensitivity to scopolamine.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchnick, Krista A; Wideman, Cassidy E; Huff, Andrew E; Palmer, Daniel; McNaughton, Bruce L; Winters, Boyer D

2018-05-15

The capacity to recognize objects from different view-points or angles, referred to as view-invariance, is an essential process that humans engage in daily. Currently, the ability to investigate the neurobiological underpinnings of this phenomenon is limited, as few ethologically valid view-invariant object recognition tasks exist for rodents. Here, we report two complementary, novel view-invariant object recognition tasks in which rodents physically interact with three-dimensional objects. Prior to experimentation, rats and mice were given extensive experience with a set of 'pre-exposure' objects. In a variant of the spontaneous object recognition task, novelty preference for pre-exposed or new objects was assessed at various angles of rotation (45°, 90° or 180°); unlike control rodents, for whom the objects were novel, rats and mice tested with pre-exposed objects did not discriminate between rotated and un-rotated objects in the choice phase, indicating substantial view-invariant object recognition. Secondly, using automated operant touchscreen chambers, rats were tested on pre-exposed or novel objects in a pairwise discrimination task, where the rewarded stimulus (S+) was rotated (180°) once rats had reached acquisition criterion; rats tested with pre-exposed objects re-acquired the pairwise discrimination following S+ rotation more effectively than those tested with new objects. Systemic scopolamine impaired performance on both tasks, suggesting involvement of acetylcholine at muscarinic receptors in view-invariant object processing. These tasks present novel means of studying the behavioral and neural bases of view-invariant object recognition in rodents. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Multiperiod Maximum Loss is time unit invariant.

Science.gov (United States)

Kovacevic, Raimund M; Breuer, Thomas

2016-01-01

Time unit invariance is introduced as an additional requirement for multiperiod risk measures: for a constant portfolio under an i.i.d. risk factor process, the multiperiod risk should equal the one period risk of the aggregated loss, for an appropriate choice of parameters and independent of the portfolio and its distribution. Multiperiod Maximum Loss over a sequence of Kullback-Leibler balls is time unit invariant. This is also the case for the entropic risk measure. On the other hand, multiperiod Value at Risk and multiperiod Expected Shortfall are not time unit invariant.

Dimuon Level-1 invariant mass in 2017 data

CERN Document Server

CMS Collaboration

2018-01-01

This document shows the Level-1 (L1) dimuon invariant mass with and without L1 muon track extrapolation to the collision vertex and how it compares with the offline reconstructed dimuon invariant mass. The plots are made with the data sample collected in 2017. The event selection, the matching algorithm and the results of the L1 dimuon invariant mass are described in the next pages.

Non-Markovianity Measure Based on Brukner-Zeilinger Invariant Information for Unital Quantum Dynamical Maps

Science.gov (United States)

He, Zhi; Zhu, Lie-Qiang; Li, Li

2017-03-01

A non-Markovianity measure based on Brukner-Zeilinger invariant information to characterize non-Markovian effect of open systems undergoing unital dynamical maps is proposed. The method takes advantage of non-increasing property of the Brukner-Zeilinger invariant information under completely positive and trace-preserving unital maps. The simplicity of computing the Brukner-Zeilinger invariant information is the advantage of the proposed measure because of mainly depending on the purity of quantum state. The measure effectively captures the characteristics of non-Markovianity of unital dynamical maps. As some concrete application, we consider two typical non-Markovian noise channels, i.e., the phase damping channel and the random unitary channel to show the sensitivity of the proposed measure. By investigation, we find that the conditions of detecting the non-Markovianity for the phase damping channel are consistent with the results of existing measures for non-Markovianity, i.e., information flow, divisibility and quantum mutual information. However, for the random unitary channel non-Markovian conditions are same to that of the information flow, but is different from that of the divisibility and quantum mutual information. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 61505053, the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province under Grant No. 2015JJ3092, the Research Foundation of Education Bureau of Hunan Province, China under Grant No. 16B177, the School Foundation from the Hunan University of Arts and Science under Grant No. 14ZD01

A Balanced Comparison of Object Invariances in Monkey IT Neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Ratan Murty, N Apurva; Arun, Sripati P

2017-01-01

Our ability to recognize objects across variations in size, position, or rotation is based on invariant object representations in higher visual cortex. However, we know little about how these invariances are related. Are some invariances harder than others? Do some invariances arise faster than others? These comparisons can be made only upon equating image changes across transformations. Here, we targeted invariant neural representations in the monkey inferotemporal (IT) cortex using object images with balanced changes in size, position, and rotation. Across the recorded population, IT neurons generalized across size and position both stronger and faster than to rotations in the image plane as well as in depth. We obtained a similar ordering of invariances in deep neural networks but not in low-level visual representations. Thus, invariant neural representations dynamically evolve in a temporal order reflective of their underlying computational complexity.

The Debates in Marx's Scholarship on Dimensions of Human nature ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Debates in Marx scholarship revolve around whether Karl Marx recognizes the individual and social dimensions of human nature and which of the two he prefers. This paper considers the debates in two ways. The first relates to Marx scholarship in favour of the individual dimension of human nature. The second concerns ...

From nature-dominated to human-dominated environmental changes

Science.gov (United States)

Messerli, Bruno; Grosjean, Martin; Hofer, Thomas; Núñez, Lautaro; Pfister, Christian

2000-01-01

To what extent is it realistic and useful to view human history as a sequence of changes from highly vulnerable societies of hunters and gatherers through periods with less vulnerable, well buffered and highly productive agrarian-urban societies to a world with regions of extreme overpopulation and overuse of life support systems, so that vulnerability to climatic-environmental changes and extreme events is again increasing? This question cannot be fully answered in our present state of knowledge, but at least we can try to illustrate, with three case studies from different continents, time periods and ecosystems, some fundamental changes in the relationship between natural processes and human activities that occur, as we pass from a nature-dominated to a human dominated environment. 1. Early-mid Holocene: Nature dominated environment — human adaptation, mitigation, and migration. In the central Andes, the Holocene climate changed from humid (10,800-8000 BP) to extreme arid (8000-3600 BP) conditions. Over the same period, prehistoric hunting communities adopted a more sedentary pattern of resource use by settling close to the few perennial water bodies, where they began the process of domesticating camelids around 5000 BP and irrigation from about 3100 BP. 2. Historical period: An agrarian society in transition from an "enduring" to an innovative human response. Detailed documentary evidence from Western Europe may be used to reconstruct quite precisely the impacts of climatic variations on agrarian societies. The period considered spans a major transition from an apparently passive response to the vagaries of the environment during the 16th century to an active and innovative attitude from the onset of the agrarian revolution in the late 18th century through to the present day. The associated changes in technology and in agricultural practices helped to create a society better able to survive the impact of climatic extremes. 3. The present day: A human dominated

Invariant probabilities of transition functions

CERN Document Server

Zaharopol, Radu

2014-01-01

The structure of the set of all the invariant probabilities and the structure of various types of individual invariant probabilities of a transition function are two topics of significant interest in the theory of transition functions, and are studied in this book. The results obtained are useful in ergodic theory and the theory of dynamical systems, which, in turn, can be applied in various other areas (like number theory). They are illustrated using transition functions defined by flows, semiflows, and one-parameter convolution semigroups of probability measures. In this book, all results on transition probabilities that have been published by the author between 2004 and 2008 are extended to transition functions. The proofs of the results obtained are new. For transition functions that satisfy very general conditions the book describes an ergodic decomposition that provides relevant information on the structure of the corresponding set of invariant probabilities. Ergodic decomposition means a splitting of t...

Invariant Natural Killer T Cell Agonist Modulates Experimental Focal and Segmental Glomerulosclerosis

Science.gov (United States)

Semedo, Patricia; Buscariollo, Bruna N.; Donizetti-Oliveira, Cassiano; Cenedeze, Marcos A.; Soares, Maria Fernanda; Pacheco-Silva, Alvaro; Savage, Paul B.; Câmara, Niels O. S.; Keller, Alexandre C.

2012-01-01

A growing body of evidence demonstrates a correlation between Th2 cytokines and the development of focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Therefore, we hypothesized that GSL-1, a monoglycosylceramide from Sphingomonas ssp. with pro-Th1 activity on invariant Natural Killer T (iNKT) lymphocytes, could counterbalance the Th2 profile and modulate glomerulosclerosis. Using an adriamycin(ADM)-based model of FSGS, we found that BALB/c mice presented albuminuria and glomerular degeneration in association with a Th2-like pro-fibrogenic profile; these mice also expressed a combination of inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-4, IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-17, TNF-α, and chemokines, such as RANTES and eotaxin. In addition, we observed a decrease in the mRNA levels of GD3 synthase, the enzyme responsible for GD3 metabolism, a glycolipid associated with podocyte physiology. GSL-1 treatment inhibited ADM-induced renal dysfunction and preserved kidney architecture, a phenomenon associated with the induction of a Th1-like response, increased levels of GD3 synthase transcripts and inhibition of pro-fibrotic transcripts and inflammatory cytokines. TGF-β analysis revealed increased levels of circulating protein and tissue transcripts in both ADM- and GSL-1-treated mice, suggesting that TGF-β could be associated with both FSGS pathology and iNKT-mediated immunosuppression; therefore, we analyzed the kidney expression of phosphorylated SMAD2/3 and SMAD7 proteins, molecules associated with the deleterious and protective effects of TGF-β, respectively. We found high levels of phosphoSMAD2/3 in ADM mice in contrast to the GSL-1 treated group in which SMAD7 expression increased. These data suggest that GSL-1 treatment modulates the downstream signaling of TGF-β through a renoprotective pathway. Finally, GSL-1 treatment at day 4, a period when proteinuria was already established, was still able to improve renal function, preserve renal structure and inhibit fibrogenic transcripts. In

Riemann quasi-invariants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pokhozhaev, Stanislav I

2011-01-01

The notion of Riemann quasi-invariants is introduced and their applications to several conservation laws are considered. The case of nonisentropic flow of an ideal polytropic gas is analysed in detail. Sufficient conditions for gradient catastrophes are obtained. Bibliography: 16 titles.

Modular categories and 3-manifold invariants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tureav, V.G.

1992-01-01

The aim of this paper is to give a concise introduction to the theory of knot invariants and 3-manifold invariants which generalize the Jones polynomial and which may be considered as a mathematical version of the Witten invariants. Such a theory was introduced by N. Reshetikhin and the author on the ground of the theory of quantum groups. here we use more general algebraic objects, specifically, ribbon and modular categories. Such categories in particular arise as the categories of representations of quantum groups. The notion of modular category, interesting in itself, is closely related to the notion of modular tensor category in the sense of G. Moore and N. Seiberg. For simplicity we restrict ourselves in this paper to the case of closed 3-manifolds

Knot invariants and higher representation theory

CERN Document Server

Webster, Ben

2018-01-01

The author constructs knot invariants categorifying the quantum knot variants for all representations of quantum groups. He shows that these invariants coincide with previous invariants defined by Khovanov for \\mathfrak{sl}_2 and \\mathfrak{sl}_3 and by Mazorchuk-Stroppel and Sussan for \\mathfrak{sl}_n. The author's technique is to study 2-representations of 2-quantum groups (in the sense of Rouquier and Khovanov-Lauda) categorifying tensor products of irreducible representations. These are the representation categories of certain finite dimensional algebras with an explicit diagrammatic presentation, generalizing the cyclotomic quotient of the KLR algebra. When the Lie algebra under consideration is \\mathfrak{sl}_n, the author shows that these categories agree with certain subcategories of parabolic category \\mathcal{O} for \\mathfrak{gl}_k.

Existence of a last invariant of conservative motion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, L.S.

1982-01-01

A general theory of integrable systems in two dimensions is formulated and applied. (The theory also has applications to more dimensions). The constraints are found which admit to general integrability of the orbits for magnetic forces as well as for forces derivable from a potential. When a system admits a given invariant, the invariant is found. A number of examples including known and apparently previously unknown invariants are given. The theory of exact integrals of the motion also can be extended to the derivation of approximate invariants. The general theory admits a variational principle, among other approximation techniques, for the computation of a best approximate invariant. The problem of the general cubic potential with one symmetric coordinate, V = 1/2 Ax 2 + 1/2 By 2 + Cx 2 y + 1/3 Dy 3 (of which the well-studied Henon-Heiles potential is the special case for A = B and C = -D), is examined in detail

Why do humans behave as they do? Answers based on “human nature" and their critique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ciro Flamarion Cardoso

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This article focus on one of the possible kinds of answers to the question: what can explain the behavior and the actions of human beings? Namely, it analyses the answers to this question that stress a determinant human nature, be it genetic, otherwise natural, or not clearly attributed to natural factors. Critiques and alternatives, supported by the paper’s author, are also examined.

Knot invariants derived from quandles and racks

OpenAIRE

Kamada, Seiichi

2002-01-01

The homology and cohomology of quandles and racks are used in knot theory: given a finite quandle and a cocycle, we can construct a knot invariant. This is a quick introductory survey to the invariants of knots derived from quandles and racks.

Esoteric elementary particle phenomena in undergraduate physics: spontaneous symmetry breaking and scale invariance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greenberger, D.M.

1978-01-01

We take two rather abstract concepts from elementary particle physics, and show that there actually exist analogs to both of them in undergraduate physics. In the case of spontaneous symmetry breaking, we provide an example where the most symmetrical state of a simple system suddenly becomes unstable, while a less symmetrical state develops lower energy and becomes stable. In the case of scale invariance, we consider an example with no natural scale determined, and show that a straightforward dimensional analysis of the problem leads to incorrect results, because of the occurrence of infinities, even though they would appear to be irrelevant infinities that might not be expected to affect the dimensions of the answer. We then show how a simple use of the scale invariance of the problem leads to the correct answer

Invariant approach to CP in unbroken Δ(27

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gustavo C. Branco

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The invariant approach is a powerful method for studying CP violation for specific Lagrangians. The method is particularly useful for dealing with discrete family symmetries. We focus on the CP properties of unbroken Δ(27 invariant Lagrangians with Yukawa-like terms, which proves to be a rich framework, with distinct aspects of CP, making it an ideal group to investigate with the invariant approach. We classify Lagrangians depending on the number of fields transforming as irreducible triplet representations of Δ(27. For each case, we construct CP-odd weak basis invariants and use them to discuss the respective CP properties. We find that CP violation is sensitive to the number and type of Δ(27 representations.

Inertial Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking and Quantum Scale Invariance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferreira, Pedro G. [Oxford U.; Hill, Christopher T. [Fermilab; Ross, Graham G. [Oxford U., Theor. Phys.

2018-01-23

Weyl invariant theories of scalars and gravity can generate all mass scales spontaneously, initiated by a dynamical process of "inertial spontaneous symmetry breaking" that does not involve a potential. This is dictated by the structure of the Weyl current, $K_\\mu$, and a cosmological phase during which the universe expands and the Einstein-Hilbert effective action is formed. Maintaining exact Weyl invariance in the renormalised quantum theory is straightforward when renormalisation conditions are referred back to the VEV's of fields in the action of the theory, which implies a conserved Weyl current. We do not require scale invariant regulators. We illustrate the computation of a Weyl invariant Coleman-Weinberg potential.

Lorentz invariance violation and electromagnetic field in an intrinsically anisotropic spacetime

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, Zhe [Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of High Energy Physics, Beijing (China); Chinese Academy of Sciences, Theoretical Physics Center for Science Facilities, Beijing (China); Wang, Sai [Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of High Energy Physics, Beijing (China)

2012-09-15

Recently, Kostelecky [V.A. Kostelecky, Phys. Lett. B 701, 137 (2011)] proposed that the spontaneous Lorentz invariance violation (sLIV) is related to Finsler geometry. Finsler spacetime is intrinsically anisotropic and naturally induces Lorentz invariance violation (LIV). In this paper, the electromagnetic field is investigated in locally Minkowski spacetime. The Lagrangian is presented explicitly for the electromagnetic field. It is compatible with the one in the standard model extension (SME). We show the Lorentz-violating Maxwell equations as well as the electromagnetic wave equation. The formal plane wave solution is obtained for the electromagnetic wave. The speed of light may depend on the direction of light and the lightcone may be enlarged or narrowed. The LIV effects could be viewed as influence from an anisotropic media on the electromagnetic wave. In addition, birefringence of light will not emerge at the leading order in this model. A constraint on the spacetime anisotropy is obtained from observations on gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). (orig.)

Invariant Natural Killer T Cells Ameliorate Monosodium Urate Crystal-Induced Gouty Inflammation in Mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jie Wang

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Gout is an inflammatory arthritis caused by deposition of intra-articular monosodium urate (MSU crystal. Previous studies have focused on resident macrophage, infiltrating monocyte, and neutrophil responses to MSU crystal; yet the mechanisms of cellular changes and the potential involvement of other regulatory immune cells remain largely unknown. Invariant natural killer T (iNKT cells, an innate type of T cell, are involved in the development of various inflammatory diseases. Here, we investigate the role of iNKT cells in MSU crystal-induced gouty inflammation. MSU crystal-induced inflammatory profiles in an air-pouch model were examined in iNKT-deficient CD1d knockout (KO and wild-type (WT control mice. To explore potential mechanisms of iNKT cell regulation of gouty inflammation, we cocultured CD4+ or CD4−iNKT cells with bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs. We found that iNKT cells quickly migrated to the site of inflammation upon MSU crystal stimulation in WT mice. The total number of infiltrating cells in CD1d KO mice, especially neutrophils, was dramatically increased at 6 and 12 h (P < 0.01 post-MSU crystal challenge, compared with WT controls. BMDMs cocultured with CD4+iNKT cells produced less tumor necrosis factor-α and expressed higher levels of M2 macrophage markers, including Clec7a, Pdcd1Ig2, and interleukin-4 (P < 0.01, compared with BMDMs cocultured with CD4−iNKT cells or conventional CD4+ T cells. CD4+iNKT cells are one of the key regulators of MSU crystal-induced gouty inflammation through the control of macrophage polarization. iNKT cells may serve as a new therapeutic target for gout.

Human/Nature Discourse in Environmental Science Education Resources

Science.gov (United States)

Chambers, Joan M.

2008-01-01

It is argued that the view of nature and the relationship between human beings and nature that each of us holds impacts our decisions, actions, and notions of environmental responsibility and consciousness. In this study, I investigate the discursive patterns of selected environmental science classroom resources produced by three disparate…

Ontological And Anthropological Aspects of the Concept of Human Nature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Asha Nimali Fernando

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Anthropology is the study of the origin of the man. It is basically concern with the concept of Homo sapiens, and it is scientifically questioning what are human physical traits as well how do men behave and the variation among different groups of  human with his social and cultural dimensions. Ontology is a subfield in traditional philosophy which is mainly focuses on the nature of being, existence or reality as such. There are some similarities and differences among these two areas. However when we deeply study the philosophical basis of the anthropology it is proof that it was derived from ontology.Anthropology discusses the social and cultural world or the physical entity of human nature. Ontology focuses the invisible aspect of human nature along with the ultimate reality. Therefore, it has a metaphysical aspect of human being; this philosophical notion has in fact, contributed to the development of the subject of anthropology. The present modern day has given very little attention to this philosophical combination of  ontolog y to anthropology, rendering further investigation into the philosophical roots of anthropology.This research paper seeks to evaluate the relationship between ontology and anthropology by paying attention to the ontological arguments about the concept of man and human nature within Greek and modern western thoughts, in comparing with modern anthropological arguments.

Invariance as a Tool for Ontology of Information

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcin J. Schroeder

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Attempts to answer questions regarding the ontological status of information are frequently based on the assumption that information should be placed within an already existing framework of concepts of established ontological statuses related to science, in particular to physics. However, many concepts of physics have undetermined or questionable ontological foundations. We can look for a solution in the recognition of the fundamental role of invariance with respect to a change of reference frame and to other transformations as a criterion for objective existence. The importance of invariance (symmetry as a criterion for a primary ontological status can be identified in the methodology of physics from its beginnings in the work of Galileo, to modern classifications of elementary particles. Thus, the study of the invariance of the theoretical description of information is proposed as the first step towards ontology of information. With the exception of only a few works among publications which set the paradigm of information studies, the issues of invariance were neglected. Orthodox analysis of information lacks conceptual framework for the study of invariance. The present paper shows how invariance can be formalized for the definition of information and, accompanying it, mathematical formalism proposed by the author in his earlier publications.

A Direct Algorithm Maple Package of One-Dimensional Optimal System for Group Invariant Solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lin; Han, Zhong; Chen, Yong

2018-01-01

To construct the one-dimensional optimal system of finite dimensional Lie algebra automatically, we develop a new Maple package One Optimal System. Meanwhile, we propose a new method to calculate the adjoint transformation matrix and find all the invariants of Lie algebra in spite of Killing form checking possible constraints of each classification. Besides, a new conception called invariance set is raised. Moreover, this Maple package is proved to be more efficiency and precise than before by applying it to some classic examples. Supported by the Global Change Research Program of China under Grant No. 2015CB95390, National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos. 11675054 and 11435005, and Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Trustworthy Software for Internet of Things under Grant No. ZF1213

Slow feature analysis: unsupervised learning of invariances.

Science.gov (United States)

Wiskott, Laurenz; Sejnowski, Terrence J

2002-04-01

Invariant features of temporally varying signals are useful for analysis and classification. Slow feature analysis (SFA) is a new method for learning invariant or slowly varying features from a vectorial input signal. It is based on a nonlinear expansion of the input signal and application of principal component analysis to this expanded signal and its time derivative. It is guaranteed to find the optimal solution within a family of functions directly and can learn to extract a large number of decorrelated features, which are ordered by their degree of invariance. SFA can be applied hierarchically to process high-dimensional input signals and extract complex features. SFA is applied first to complex cell tuning properties based on simple cell output, including disparity and motion. Then more complicated input-output functions are learned by repeated application of SFA. Finally, a hierarchical network of SFA modules is presented as a simple model of the visual system. The same unstructured network can learn translation, size, rotation, contrast, or, to a lesser degree, illumination invariance for one-dimensional objects, depending on only the training stimulus. Surprisingly, only a few training objects suffice to achieve good generalization to new objects. The generated representation is suitable for object recognition. Performance degrades if the network is trained to learn multiple invariances simultaneously.

Normal Anti-Invariant Submanifolds of Paraquaternionic Kähler Manifolds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Novac-Claudiu Chiriac

2006-12-01

Full Text Available We introduce normal anti-invariant submanifolds of paraquaternionic Kähler manifolds and study the geometric structures induced on them. We obtain necessary and sufficient conditions for the integrability of the distributions defined on a normal anti-invariant submanifold. Also, we present characterizations of local (global anti-invariant products.

Perturbation to Unified Symmetry and Adiabatic Invariants for Relativistic Hamilton Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Mingjiang; Fang Jianhui; Lu Kai; Pang Ting; Lin Peng

2009-01-01

Based on the concept of adiabatic invariant, the perturbation to unified symmetry and adiabatic invariants for relativistic Hamilton systems are studied. The definition of the perturbation to unified symmetry for the system is presented, and the criterion of the perturbation to unified symmetry is given. Meanwhile, the Noether adiabatic invariants, the generalized Hojman adiabatic invariants, and the Mei adiabatic invariants for the perturbed system are obtained. (general)

Dark coupling and gauge invariance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gavela, M.B.; Honorez, L. Lopez; Mena, O.; Rigolin, S.

2010-01-01

We study a coupled dark energy-dark matter model in which the energy-momentum exchange is proportional to the Hubble expansion rate. The inclusion of its perturbation is required by gauge invariance. We derive the linear perturbation equations for the gauge invariant energy density contrast and velocity of the coupled fluids, and we determine the initial conditions. The latter turn out to be adiabatic for dark energy, when assuming adiabatic initial conditions for all the standard fluids. We perform a full Monte Carlo Markov Chain likelihood analysis of the model, using WMAP 7-year data

Dark Coupling and Gauge Invariance

CERN Document Server

Gavela, M B; Mena, O; Rigolin, S

2010-01-01

We study a coupled dark energy-dark matter model in which the energy-momentum exchange is proportional to the Hubble expansion rate. The inclusion of its perturbation is required by gauge invariance. We derive the linear perturbation equations for the gauge invariant energy density contrast and velocity of the coupled fluids, and we determine the initial conditions. The latter turn out to be adiabatic for dark energy, when assuming adiabatic initial conditions for all the standard fluids. We perform a full Monte Carlo Markov Chain likelihood analysis of the model, using WMAP 7-year data.

Second-order gauge-invariant perturbations during inflation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finelli, F.; Marozzi, G.; Vacca, G. P.; Venturi, G.

2006-01-01

The evolution of gauge invariant second-order scalar perturbations in a general single field inflationary scenario are presented. Different second-order gauge-invariant expressions for the curvature are considered. We evaluate perturbatively one of these second order curvature fluctuations and a second-order gauge-invariant scalar field fluctuation during the slow-roll stage of a massive chaotic inflationary scenario, taking into account the deviation from a pure de Sitter evolution and considering only the contribution of super-Hubble perturbations in mode-mode coupling. The spectra resulting from their contribution to the second order quantum correlation function are nearly scale-invariant, with additional logarithmic corrections with respect to the first order spectrum. For all scales of interest the amplitude of these spectra depends on the total number of e-folds. We find, on comparing first and second order perturbation results, an upper limit to the total number of e-folds beyond which the two orders are comparable

Field transformations, collective coordinates and BRST invariance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alfaro, J.; Damgaard, P.H.

1989-12-01

A very large class of general field transformations can be viewed as a field theory generalization of the method of collective coordinates. The introduction of new variables induces a gauge invariance in the transformed theory, and the freedom left in gauge fixing this new invariance can be used to find equivalent formulations of the same theory. First the Batalin-Fradkin-Vilkovisky formalism is applied to the Hamiltonian formulation of physical systems that can be described in terms of collective coordinates. We then show how this type of collective coordinate scheme can be generalized to field transformations, and discuss the War Identities of the associated BRST invariance. For Yang-Mills theory a connection to topological field theory and the background field method is explained in detail. In general the resulting BRST invariance we find hidden in any quantum field theory can be viewed as a consequence of our freedom in choosing a basis of coordinates φ(χ) in the action S[φ]. (orig.)

Modified dispersion relations, inflation, and scale invariance

Science.gov (United States)

Bianco, Stefano; Friedhoff, Victor Nicolai; Wilson-Ewing, Edward

2018-02-01

For a certain type of modified dispersion relations, the vacuum quantum state for very short wavelength cosmological perturbations is scale-invariant and it has been suggested that this may be the source of the scale-invariance observed in the temperature anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background. We point out that for this scenario to be possible, it is necessary to redshift these short wavelength modes to cosmological scales in such a way that the scale-invariance is not lost. This requires nontrivial background dynamics before the onset of standard radiation-dominated cosmology; we demonstrate that one possible solution is inflation with a sufficiently large Hubble rate, for this slow roll is not necessary. In addition, we also show that if the slow-roll condition is added to inflation with a large Hubble rate, then for any power law modified dispersion relation quantum vacuum fluctuations become nearly scale-invariant when they exit the Hubble radius.

Urgent Biophilia: Human-Nature Interactions and Biological Attractions in Disaster Resilience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Keith G. Tidball

2012-06-01

Full Text Available This contribution builds upon contemporary work on principles of biological attraction as well as earlier work on biophilia while synthesizing literatures on restorative environments, community-based ecological restoration, and both community and social-ecological disaster resilience. It suggests that when humans, faced with a disaster, as individuals and as communities and populations, seek engagement with nature to further their efforts to summon and demonstrate resilience in the face of a crisis, they exemplify an urgent biophilia. This urgent biophilia represents an important set of human-nature interactions in SES characterized by hazard, disaster, or vulnerability, often appearing in the 'backloop' of the adaptive cycle. The relationships that human-nature interactions have to other components within interdependent systems at many different scales may be one critical source of resilience in disaster and related contexts. In other words, the affinity we humans have for the rest of nature, the process of remembering that attraction, and the urge to express it through creation of restorative environments, which may also restore or increase ecological function, may confer resilience across multiple scales. In making this argument, the paper also represents a novel contribution to further theorizing alternatives to anthropocentric understandings of human-nature relations, and strongly makes the case for humans as part of, not separate from, ecosystems.

Human-nature interactions and the consequences and drivers of provisioning wildlife.

Science.gov (United States)

Cox, Daniel T C; Gaston, Kevin J

2018-05-05

Many human populations are undergoing an extinction of experience, with a progressive decline in interactions with nature. This is a consequence both of a loss of opportunity for, and orientation towards, such experiences. The trend is of concern in part because interactions with nature can be good for human health and wellbeing. One potential means of redressing these losses is through the intentional provision of resources to increase wildlife populations in close proximity to people, thereby increasing the potential for positive human-nature experiences, and thence the array of benefits that can result. In this paper, we review the evidence that these resource subsidies have such a cascade of effects. In some Westernized countries, the scale of provision is extraordinarily high, and doubtless leads to both positive and negative impacts for wildlife. In turn, these impacts often lead to more frequent, reliable and closer human-nature interactions, with a greater variety of species. The consequences for human wellbeing remain poorly understood, although benefits documented in the context of human-nature interactions more broadly seem likely to apply. There are also some important feedback loops that need to be better characterized if resource provisioning is to contribute effectively towards averting the extinction of experience.This article is part of the theme issue 'Anthropogenic resource subsidies and host-parasite dynamics in wildlife'. © 2018 The Authors.

Demonstration of entanglement assisted invariance on IBM's quantum experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Deffner, Sebastian

2017-11-01

Quantum entanglement is among the most fundamental, yet from classical intuition also most surprising properties of the fully quantum nature of physical reality. We report several experiments performed on IBM's Quantum Experience demonstrating envariance - entanglement assisted invariance. Envariance is a recently discovered symmetry of composite quantum systems, which is at the foundational origin of physics and a quantum phenomenon of pure states. These very easily reproducible and freely accessible experiments on Quantum Experience provide simple tools to study the properties of envariance, and we illustrate this for several cases with "quantum universes" consisting of up to five qubits.

Scale-invariant curvature fluctuations from an extended semiclassical gravity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pinamonti, Nicola, E-mail: pinamont@dima.unige.it, E-mail: siemssen@dima.unige.it [Dipartimento di Matematica, Università di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 35, 16146 Genova (Italy); INFN Sezione di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genova (Italy); Siemssen, Daniel, E-mail: pinamont@dima.unige.it, E-mail: siemssen@dima.unige.it [Dipartimento di Matematica, Università di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 35, 16146 Genova (Italy)

2015-02-15

We present an extension of the semiclassical Einstein equations which couple n-point correlation functions of a stochastic Einstein tensor to the n-point functions of the quantum stress-energy tensor. We apply this extension to calculate the quantum fluctuations during an inflationary period, where we take as a model a massive conformally coupled scalar field on a perturbed de Sitter space and describe how a renormalization independent, almost-scale-invariant power spectrum of the scalar metric perturbation is produced. Furthermore, we discuss how this model yields a natural basis for the calculation of non-Gaussianities of the considered metric fluctuations.

Human uniqueness on the brink of a new axial age: From separation to reintegration of humans and nature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cornel W. du Toit

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Karl Jaspers’ Axial Age concept is used to depict the way humans interact with their environment. The first Axial Age (800-200 BC can be typified among others as the age in which humans started to objectify nature. Nature was dispossessed of spirits, gods and vital forces that humans previously feared and used as explanation for the origin of things. Secularised and objectified nature became a source of wealth for humans to use and abuse as they like. This has peaked in the post-industrial era which also introduced the Second Axial Age in which we presently live. The Second Axial Age can be typified by a new approach to nature mediated among others by insights from the side of the natural sciences, especially developments in cosmology, our understanding of the quantum world and new insights into the nature of consciousness. Another development in the Second Axial Age is the emergence of the nonhuman turn, new materialism, panpsychism, the notion of the post-human and theological concepts like the ‘entangled God’. These developments are discussed with reference to leading thinkers. The nonhuman turn is welcomed as it introduces respect for nature which may contribute to the survival of our planet.

Invariant subsets under compact quantum group actions

OpenAIRE

Huang, Huichi

2012-01-01

We investigate compact quantum group actions on unital $C^*$-algebras by analyzing invariant subsets and invariant states. In particular, we come up with the concept of compact quantum group orbits and use it to show that countable compact metrizable spaces with infinitely many points are not quantum homogeneous spaces.

Borromean surgery formula for the Casson invariant

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meilhan, Jean-Baptiste Odet Thierry

2008-01-01

It is known that every oriented integral homology 3-sphere can be obtained from S3 by a finite sequence of Borromean surgeries. We give an explicit formula for the variation of the Casson invariant under such a surgery move. The formula involves simple classical invariants, namely the framing...

Translationally invariant and non-translationally invariant empirical effective interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golin, M.; Zamick, L.

1975-01-01

In this work empirical deficiencies of the core-renormalized realistic effective interactions are examined and simple corrective potentials are sought. The inability of the current realistic interactions to account for the energies of isobaric analog states is noted, likewise they are unable to reproduce the changes in the single-particle energies, as one goes from one closed shell to another. It is noted that the Schiffer interaction gives better results for these gross properties and this is attributed to a combination of several facts. First, to the inclusion of long range terms in the Schiffer potential, then to the presence of relative p-state terms (l=1), in addition to the usual relative s-state terms (l=0). The strange shape of the above interaction is further attributed to the fact that it is translationally invariant whereas the theory of core-polarization yields non-translationally invariant potentials. Consequently, as a correction to the monopole deficiencies of the realistic interactions the term Vsub(mon)=ar 2 (1)r 2 (2)+r 2 (1)+β[r 4 (1)r 2 (2)r 4 (2) ] is proposed. (Auth.)

Relative significance of natural irradiation vs all human exposures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jammet, H.

1985-01-01

A review is made of the fundamentals allowing to quantitatively express the importance of the various sources of human exposure by an individual or collective approach. Following a summary of the components of normal exposure to natural sources, the various human actions at the origin of enhanced exposure are studied: 1) those modifying the relationship between natural sources and man (dwelling conditions, coal burning, geothermal energy production, exploitation of phosphate rock); 2) those creating new artificial sources (nuclear explosions in the atmosphere, nuclear power production, medical use of radiation and radionuclides). The effective dose equivalent commitments for these sources are compared with those necessarily involved by continuous normal exposure to the natural sources of exposure [fr

Topological excitations in U(1) -invariant theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savit, R.

1977-01-01

A class of U(1) -invariant theories in d dimensions is introduced on a lattice. These theories are labeled by a simplex number s, with 1 < or = s < d. The case with s = 1 is the X-Y model; and s = 2 gives compact photodynamics. An exact duality transformation is applied to show that the U(1) -invariant theory in d dimensions with simplex number s is the same as a similar theory in d dimensions but which is Z /sub infinity/-invariant and has simplex number s = d-s. This dual theory describes the topological excitations of the original theory. These excitations are of dimension s - 1

Altered perceptual sensitivity to kinematic invariants in Parkinson's disease.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eran Dayan

Full Text Available Ample evidence exists for coupling between action and perception in neurologically healthy individuals, yet the precise nature of the internal representations shared between these domains remains unclear. One experimentally derived view is that the invariant properties and constraints characterizing movement generation are also manifested during motion perception. One prominent motor invariant is the "two-third power law," describing the strong relation between the kinematics of motion and the geometrical features of the path followed by the hand during planar drawing movements. The two-thirds power law not only characterizes various movement generation tasks but also seems to constrain visual perception of motion. The present study aimed to assess whether motor invariants, such as the two thirds power law also constrain motion perception in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD. Patients with PD and age-matched controls were asked to observe the movement of a light spot rotating on an elliptical path and to modify its velocity until it appeared to move most uniformly. As in previous reports controls tended to choose those movements close to obeying the two-thirds power law as most uniform. Patients with PD displayed a more variable behavior, choosing on average, movements closer but not equal to a constant velocity. Our results thus demonstrate impairments in how the two-thirds power law constrains motion perception in patients with PD, where this relationship between velocity and curvature appears to be preserved but scaled down. Recent hypotheses on the role of the basal ganglia in motor timing may explain these irregularities. Alternatively, these impairments in perception of movement may reflect similar deficits in motor production.

Altered perceptual sensitivity to kinematic invariants in Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Dayan, Eran; Inzelberg, Rivka; Flash, Tamar

2012-01-01

Ample evidence exists for coupling between action and perception in neurologically healthy individuals, yet the precise nature of the internal representations shared between these domains remains unclear. One experimentally derived view is that the invariant properties and constraints characterizing movement generation are also manifested during motion perception. One prominent motor invariant is the "two-third power law," describing the strong relation between the kinematics of motion and the geometrical features of the path followed by the hand during planar drawing movements. The two-thirds power law not only characterizes various movement generation tasks but also seems to constrain visual perception of motion. The present study aimed to assess whether motor invariants, such as the two thirds power law also constrain motion perception in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Patients with PD and age-matched controls were asked to observe the movement of a light spot rotating on an elliptical path and to modify its velocity until it appeared to move most uniformly. As in previous reports controls tended to choose those movements close to obeying the two-thirds power law as most uniform. Patients with PD displayed a more variable behavior, choosing on average, movements closer but not equal to a constant velocity. Our results thus demonstrate impairments in how the two-thirds power law constrains motion perception in patients with PD, where this relationship between velocity and curvature appears to be preserved but scaled down. Recent hypotheses on the role of the basal ganglia in motor timing may explain these irregularities. Alternatively, these impairments in perception of movement may reflect similar deficits in motor production.

Invariance group of the Finster metric function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asanov, G.S.

1985-01-01

An invariance group of the Finsler metric function is introduced and studied that directly generalized the respective concept (a group of Euclidean rolations) of the Rieman geometry. A sequential description of the isotopic invariance of physical fields on the base of the Finsler geometry is possible in terms of this group

Note on Weyl versus conformal invariance in field theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Feng [Nanchang University, Department of Physics, Nanchang (China)

2017-12-15

It was argued recently that conformal invariance in flat spacetime implies Weyl invariance in a general curved background for unitary theories and possible anomalies in the Weyl variation of scalar operators are identified. We argue that generically unitarity alone is not sufficient for a conformal field theory to be Weyl invariant. Furthermore, we show explicitly that when a unitary conformal field theory couples to gravity in a Weyl-invariant way, each primary scalar operator that is either relevant or marginal in the unitary conformal field theory corresponds to a Weyl-covariant operator in the curved background. (orig.)

TECHNOLOGY VS NATURE: HUMAN ERROR IN DEALING WITH NATURE IN CRICHTON'S JURASSIC PARK

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah Prasasti

2000-01-01

Full Text Available Witnessing the euphoria of the era of biotechnology in the late twentieth century, Crichton exposes the theme of biotechnology in his works. In Jurassic Park, he voices his concern about the impact of the use of biotechnology to preserve nature and its living creatures. He further describes how the purpose of preserving nature and the creatures has turned out to be destructive. This article discusses Crichton's main character, Hammond, who attempts to control nature by genetically recreating the extinct fossil animals. It seems that the attempt ignores his human limitations. Although he is confident that has been equipped with the technology, he forgets to get along with nature. His way of using technology to accomplish his purpose proves not to be in harmony with nature. As a consequence, nature fights back. And he is conquered.

Invariant functionals in higher-spin theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.A. Vasiliev

2017-03-01

Full Text Available A new construction for gauge invariant functionals in the nonlinear higher-spin theory is proposed. Being supported by differential forms closed by virtue of the higher-spin equations, invariant functionals are associated with central elements of the higher-spin algebra. In the on-shell AdS4 higher-spin theory we identify a four-form conjectured to represent the generating functional for 3d boundary correlators and a two-form argued to support charges for black hole solutions. Two actions for 3d boundary conformal higher-spin theory are associated with the two parity-invariant higher-spin models in AdS4. The peculiarity of the spinorial formulation of the on-shell AdS3 higher-spin theory, where the invariant functional is supported by a two-form, is conjectured to be related to the holomorphic factorization at the boundary. The nonlinear part of the star-product function F⁎(B(x in the higher-spin equations is argued to lead to divergencies in the boundary limit representing singularities at coinciding boundary space–time points of the factors of B(x, which can be regularized by the point splitting. An interpretation of the RG flow in terms of proposed construction is briefly discussed.

On a possible origin of modular invariance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tahir Shah, K.

1991-06-01

We propose an information theoretic model of the space-time pre-geometry where the pre-geometry is considered as a ''coded state of matter and space-time'', distinctly different from the classical space-time or any known state of matter. Assuming that physical processes at Planck's dimensions are stochastic Markov processes and using information theoretic and algebro-geometric coding techniques, we show that modular invariance is a natural consequence of: 1. Shannon's channel capacity theorem. 2. Nature selects and uses only those error-correcting codes to transfer information between space-time entities which allow the value of propagation rate R reaching its critical value R C , the channel capacity. Next, using the strong converse theorem we show that a phase-transition occurs at (R C -R) 0. Furthermore, it is known that some symmetrically packed optimal codes lead to E 8 lattice while others to a 26-dimensional Lorentz lattice used in string theories. This suggests a precise connection between our model and string theories. (author). 26 refs

Quantum implications of a scale invariant regularization

Science.gov (United States)

Ghilencea, D. M.

2018-04-01

We study scale invariance at the quantum level in a perturbative approach. For a scale-invariant classical theory, the scalar potential is computed at a three-loop level while keeping manifest this symmetry. Spontaneous scale symmetry breaking is transmitted at a quantum level to the visible sector (of ϕ ) by the associated Goldstone mode (dilaton σ ), which enables a scale-invariant regularization and whose vacuum expectation value ⟨σ ⟩ generates the subtraction scale (μ ). While the hidden (σ ) and visible sector (ϕ ) are classically decoupled in d =4 due to an enhanced Poincaré symmetry, they interact through (a series of) evanescent couplings ∝ɛ , dictated by the scale invariance of the action in d =4 -2 ɛ . At the quantum level, these couplings generate new corrections to the potential, as scale-invariant nonpolynomial effective operators ϕ2 n +4/σ2 n. These are comparable in size to "standard" loop corrections and are important for values of ϕ close to ⟨σ ⟩. For n =1 , 2, the beta functions of their coefficient are computed at three loops. In the IR limit, dilaton fluctuations decouple, the effective operators are suppressed by large ⟨σ ⟩, and the effective potential becomes that of a renormalizable theory with explicit scale symmetry breaking by the DR scheme (of μ =constant).

How to Find Invariants for Coloured Petri Nets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Kurt

1981-01-01

This paper shows how invariants can be found for coloured Petri Nets. We define a set of transformation rules, which can be used to transform the incidence matrix, without changing the set of invariants....

Humans make efficient use of natural image statistics when performing spatial interpolation.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Antona, Anthony D; Perry, Jeffrey S; Geisler, Wilson S

2013-12-16

Visual systems learn through evolution and experience over the lifespan to exploit the statistical structure of natural images when performing visual tasks. Understanding which aspects of this statistical structure are incorporated into the human nervous system is a fundamental goal in vision science. To address this goal, we measured human ability to estimate the intensity of missing image pixels in natural images. Human estimation accuracy is compared with various simple heuristics (e.g., local mean) and with optimal observers that have nearly complete knowledge of the local statistical structure of natural images. Human estimates are more accurate than those of simple heuristics, and they match the performance of an optimal observer that knows the local statistical structure of relative intensities (contrasts). This optimal observer predicts the detailed pattern of human estimation errors and hence the results place strong constraints on the underlying neural mechanisms. However, humans do not reach the performance of an optimal observer that knows the local statistical structure of the absolute intensities, which reflect both local relative intensities and local mean intensity. As predicted from a statistical analysis of natural images, human estimation accuracy is negligibly improved by expanding the context from a local patch to the whole image. Our results demonstrate that the human visual system exploits efficiently the statistical structure of natural images.

Gauge invariance over a group as the first principle of interacting string dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gervais, J.L.

1986-01-01

It is stressed that the basic principle of the standard gauge theories is the invariance under internal symmetry transformations that do not commute with translations. This concept is generalized to the case where the translation group is replaced by an arbitrarily given non-abelian group G. The generalized Yang-Mills theory, called gauge theory over G, is an attractive extension of the standard formalism. The gauge theory over the conformal group is proposed as the fundamental theory of bosonic strings. As is usual in gauge theories, the interaction is uniquely specific by the invariance properties. For strings, overlap conditions between string positions come out in a natural way. The powerful machinery of Yang-Mills theories is fully applicable to the gauge theories over groups. In particular, an example of the Higgs-Kibble mechanism is given. (orig.)

Groups, generators, syzygies, and orbits in invariant theory

CERN Document Server

Popov, V L

2011-01-01

The history of invariant theory spans nearly a century and a half, with roots in certain problems from number theory, algebra, and geometry appearing in the work of Gauss, Jacobi, Eisenstein, and Hermite. Although the connection between invariants and orbits was essentially discovered in the work of Aronhold and Boole, a clear understanding of this connection had not been achieved until recently, when invariant theory was in fact subsumed by a general theory of algebraic groups. Written by one of the major leaders in the field, this book provides an excellent, comprehensive exposition of invariant theory. Its point of view is unique in that it combines both modern and classical approaches to the subject. The introductory chapter sets the historical stage for the subject, helping to make the book accessible to nonspecialists.

Invariants for the generalized Lotka-Volterra equations

Science.gov (United States)

Cairó, Laurent; Feix, Marc R.; Goedert, Joao

A generalisation of Lotka-Volterra System is given when self limiting terms are introduced in the model. We use a modification of the Carleman embedding method to find invariants for this system of equations. The position and stability of the equilibrium point and the regression of system under invariant conditions are studied.

Invariant relations in Boussinesq-type equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meletlidou, Efi; Pouget, Joeel; Maugin, Gerard; Aifantis, Elias

2004-01-01

A wide class of partial differential equations have at least three conservation laws that remain invariant for certain solutions of them and especially for solitary wave solutions. These conservation laws can be considered as the energy, pseudomomentum and mass integrals of these solutions. We investigate the invariant relation between the energy and the pseudomomentum for solitary waves in two Boussinesq-type equations that come from the theory of elasticity and lattice models

Human Nature and the Social Order | Opafola | Annals of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper takes cognizance of the fact that the ideas of human beings or human persons and a social order are mutually re-in forcing or mutually inclusive. It argues that a stable, peaceful, and progressive social order will be promoted to some extent if the differences in the elements of human nature are acknowledged and ...

Natural resources, redistribution and Human capital formation

OpenAIRE

Aguero, Jorge; Balcazar, Carlos Felipe; Maldonado, Stanislao; Ñopo, Hugo

2016-01-01

How do resource booms affect human capital accumulation? We exploit time and spatial variation generated by the commodity boom across local governments in Peru to measure the effect of natural resources on human capital formation. We explore the effect of both mining production and tax revenues on test scores, finding a substantial and statistically significant effect for the latter. Transfers to local governments from mining tax revenues are linked to an increase in math test scores of aroun...

Invariants for minimal conformal supergravity in six dimensions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Butter, Daniel [Nikhef Theory Group,Science Park 105, 1098 XG Amsterdam (Netherlands); Kuzenko, Sergei M. [School of Physics M013, The University of Western Australia,35 Stirling Highway, Crawley W.A. 6009 (Australia); Novak, Joseph; Theisen, Stefan [Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik, Albert-Einstein-Institut,Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Golm (Germany)

2016-12-15

We develop a new off-shell formulation for six-dimensional conformal supergravity obtained by gauging the 6D N=(1,0) superconformal algebra in superspace. This formulation is employed to construct two invariants for 6D N=(1,0) conformal supergravity, which contain C{sup 3} and C◻C terms at the component level. Using a conformal supercurrent analysis, we prove that these exhaust all such invariants in minimal conformal supergravity. Finally, we show how to construct the supersymmetric F◻F invariant in curved superspace.

Differential invariants in nonclassical models of hydrodynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Bublik, Vasily V.

2017-10-01

In this paper, differential invariants are used to construct solutions for equations of the dynamics of a viscous heat-conducting gas and the dynamics of a viscous incompressible fluid modified by nanopowder inoculators. To describe the dynamics of a viscous heat-conducting gas, we use the complete system of Navier—Stokes equations with allowance for heat fluxes. Mathematical description of the dynamics of liquid metals under high-energy external influences (laser radiation or plasma flow) includes, in addition to the Navier—Stokes system of an incompressible viscous fluid, also heat fluxes and processes of nonequilibrium crystallization of a deformable fluid. Differentially invariant solutions are a generalization of partially invariant solutions, and their active study for various models of continuous medium mechanics is just beginning. Differentially invariant solutions can also be considered as solutions with differential constraints; therefore, when developing them, the approaches and methods developed by the science schools of academicians N. N. Yanenko and A. F. Sidorov will be actively used. In the construction of partially invariant and differentially invariant solutions, there are overdetermined systems of differential equations that require a compatibility analysis. The algorithms for reducing such systems to involution in a finite number of steps are described by Cartan, Finikov, Kuranishi, and other authors. However, the difficultly foreseeable volume of intermediate calculations complicates their practical application. Therefore, the methods of computer algebra are actively used here, which largely helps in solving this difficult problem. It is proposed to use the constructed exact solutions as tests for formulas, algorithms and their software implementations when developing and creating numerical methods and computational program complexes. This combination of effective numerical methods, capable of solving a wide class of problems, with

Manifestly gauge invariant discretizations of the Schrödinger equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halvorsen, Tore Gunnar; Kvaal, Simen

2012-01-01

Grid-based discretizations of the time dependent Schrödinger equation coupled to an external magnetic field are converted to manifest gauge invariant discretizations. This is done using generalizations of ideas used in classical lattice gauge theory, and the process defined is applicable to a large class of discretized differential operators. In particular, popular discretizations such as pseudospectral discretizations using the fast Fourier transform can be transformed to gauge invariant schemes. Also generic gauge invariant versions of generic time integration methods are considered, enabling completely gauge invariant calculations of the time dependent Schrödinger equation. Numerical examples illuminating the differences between a gauge invariant discretization and conventional discretization procedures are also presented. -- Highlights: ► We investigate the Schrödinger equation coupled to an external magnetic field. ► Any grid-based discretization is made trivially gauge invariant. ► An extension of classical lattice gauge theory.

Triality invariance in the N=2 superstring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castellani, Leonardo; Grassi, Pietro Antonio; Sommovigo, Luca

2009-01-01

We prove the discrete triality invariance of the N=2 NSR superstring moving in a D=2+2 target space. We find that triality holds also in the Siegel-Berkovits formulation of the selfdual superstring. A supersymmetric generalization of Cayley's hyperdeterminant, based on a quartic invariant of the SL(2|1) 3 superalgebra, is presented.

Heterotic superstring and curved, scale-invariant superspace

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuusk, P.K.

1988-01-01

It is shown that the modified heterotic superstring [R. E. Kallosh, JETP Lett. 43, 456 (1986); Phys. Lett. 176B, 50 (1986)] demands a scale-invariant superspace for its existence. Explicit expressions are given for the connection, the torsion, and the curvature of an extended scale-invariant superspace with 506 bosonic and 16 fermionic coordinates

Synthesizing chaotic maps with prescribed invariant densities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rogers, Alan; Shorten, Robert; Heffernan, Daniel M.

2004-01-01

The Inverse Frobenius-Perron Problem (IFPP) concerns the creation of discrete chaotic mappings with arbitrary invariant densities. In this Letter, we present a new and elegant solution to the IFPP, based on positive matrix theory. Our method allows chaotic maps with arbitrary piecewise-constant invariant densities, and with arbitrary mixing properties, to be synthesized

Invariant differential operators

CERN Document Server

Dobrev, Vladimir K

2016-01-01

With applications in quantum field theory, elementary particle physics and general relativity, this two-volume work studies invariance of differential operators under Lie algebras, quantum groups, superalgebras including infinite-dimensional cases, Schrödinger algebras, applications to holography. This first volume covers the general aspects of Lie algebras and group theory.

Invariant differential operators

CERN Document Server

Dobrev, Vladimir K

With applications in quantum field theory, elementary particle physics and general relativity, this two-volume work studies invariance of differential operators under Lie algebras, quantum groups, superalgebras including infinite-dimensional cases, Schrödinger algebras, applications to holography. This first volume covers the general aspects of Lie algebras and group theory.

Gauge invariance of the Rayleigh--Schroedinger time-independent perturbation theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, K.H.

1977-08-01

It is shown that the Rayleigh-Schroedinger time-independent perturbation theory is gauge invariant when the operator concerned is the particle's instantaneous energy operator H/sub B/ = (1/2m)[vector p - (e/c) vector A] 2 + eV 0 . More explicitly, it is shown that the energy perturbation corrections of each individual order of every state is gauge invariant. When the vector potential is curlless, the energy corrections of all orders are shown to vanish identically regardless of the explicit form of the vector potential. The relation between causality and gauge invariance is investigated. It is shown that gauge invariance guarantees conformity with causality and violation of gauge invariance implies violation of causality

Activity Recognition Invariant to Sensor Orientation with Wearable Motion Sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Yurtman, Aras; Barshan, Billur

2017-08-09

Most activity recognition studies that employ wearable sensors assume that the sensors are attached at pre-determined positions and orientations that do not change over time. Since this is not the case in practice, it is of interest to develop wearable systems that operate invariantly to sensor position and orientation. We focus on invariance to sensor orientation and develop two alternative transformations to remove the effect of absolute sensor orientation from the raw sensor data. We test the proposed methodology in activity recognition with four state-of-the-art classifiers using five publicly available datasets containing various types of human activities acquired by different sensor configurations. While the ordinary activity recognition system cannot handle incorrectly oriented sensors, the proposed transformations allow the sensors to be worn at any orientation at a given position on the body, and achieve nearly the same activity recognition performance as the ordinary system for which the sensor units are not rotatable. The proposed techniques can be applied to existing wearable systems without much effort, by simply transforming the time-domain sensor data at the pre-processing stage.

Triality invariance in the N=2 superstring

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Castellani, Leonardo [Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Avanzate and INFN Gruppo collegato di Alessandria, Universita del Piemonte Orientale, Via Teresa Michel 11, 15121 Alessandria (Italy)], E-mail: leonardo.castellani@mfn.unipmn.it; Grassi, Pietro Antonio [Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Avanzate and INFN Gruppo collegato di Alessandria, Universita del Piemonte Orientale, Via Teresa Michel 11, 15121 Alessandria (Italy)], E-mail: pietro.grassi@mfn.unipmn.it; Sommovigo, Luca [Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Avanzate and INFN Gruppo collegato di Alessandria, Universita del Piemonte Orientale, Via Teresa Michel 11, 15121 Alessandria (Italy)], E-mail: luca.sommovigo@mfn.unipmn.it

2009-07-20

We prove the discrete triality invariance of the N=2 NSR superstring moving in a D=2+2 target space. We find that triality holds also in the Siegel-Berkovits formulation of the selfdual superstring. A supersymmetric generalization of Cayley's hyperdeterminant, based on a quartic invariant of the SL(2|1){sup 3} superalgebra, is presented.

Distancing Students From Nature: Science Camp and the Representation of the Human-Nature Relationship

Science.gov (United States)

Terrill, Laura Anne

This study investigated the curricular representations of the environment and the human-environment relationship at one residential school sponsored science camp. Data gathered included field notes from observational time at the camp, interviews with staff and classroom teachers, and documents from the site's website, guides, manuals, and curricular guides. These data were analyzed to understand how the camp represented the human-environment relationship and the "proper" human-environment relationship to its participants. Analysis indicated that the camp's official and enacted curriculum was shaped in response to two perceived problems, (1) students were perceived as having a disconnected relationship with the outdoors and lacking in outdoor experiences; and (2) staff members of the camp believed that time for science during the school day had diminished and that students were not receiving adequate science instruction at school. In response, the goal of the camp was to connect students to the outdoors through hands-on, sensory, experience based science and outdoor education experiences. However, key aspects of the camp experience and the formal and enacted curriculum unintentionally positioned students as separate from nature. The camp experience presented a vacation like understanding of the human-environment relationship as students became tourists of the outdoors. Despite the site's goal of connecting students to the outdoors, the science camp experience worked to distance students from the outdoors by unintentionally representing the outdoors as a place that existed away from home and students' everyday lives. Notably, nature became a place that existed in the past, separate from modernity. Students were tourists in an exotic location - nature. They received tours of the foreign outdoors, had fun, and returned home to their ordinary lives that were separate and distinct from the natural world.

Weyl-Invariant Extension of the Metric-Affine Gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vazirian, R.; Tanhayi, M. R.; Motahar, Z. A.

2015-01-01

Metric-affine geometry provides a nontrivial extension of the general relativity where the metric and connection are treated as the two independent fundamental quantities in constructing the spacetime (with nonvanishing torsion and nonmetricity). In this paper, we study the generic form of action in this formalism and then construct the Weyl-invariant version of this theory. It is shown that, in Weitzenböck space, the obtained Weyl-invariant action can cover the conformally invariant teleparallel action. Finally, the related field equations are obtained in the general case.

From Environmental Connectedness to Sustainable Futures: Topophilia and Human Affiliation with Nature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Beery

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Human affiliation with nonhuman nature is an important dimension of environmental concern and support for pro-environmental attitudes. A significant theory of human connectedness with nature, the Biophilia Hypothesis, suggests that there exists a genetically based inclination for human affiliation with the biological world. Both support and challenge to the Biophilia Hypothesis are abundant in the literature of environmental psychology. One response that both challenges and builds upon the Biophilia Hypothesis is the Topophilia Hypothesis. The Topophilia Hypothesis has extended the ideas of biophilia to incorporate a broader conception of nonhuman nature and a co-evolutionary theory of genetic response and cultural learning. While the Topophilia Hypothesis is a new idea, it is built upon long-standing scholarship from humanistic geography and theories in human evolution. The Topophilia Hypothesis expands previous theory and provides a multidisciplinary consideration of how biological selection and cultural learning may have interacted during human evolution to promote adaptive mechanisms for human affiliation with nonhuman nature via specific place attachment. Support for this possible co-evolutionary foundation for place-based human affiliation with nonhuman nature is explored from multiple vantage points. We raise the question of whether this affiliation may have implications for multifunctional landscape management. Ultimately, we propose that nurturing potential topophilic tendencies may be a useful method to promote sustainable efforts at the local level with implications for the global.

Invariant natural killer T-cell control of type 1 diabetes: a dendritic cell genetic decision of a silver bullet or Russian roulette.

Science.gov (United States)

Driver, John P; Scheuplein, Felix; Chen, Yi-Guang; Grier, Alexandra E; Wilson, S Brian; Serreze, David V

2010-02-01

In part, activation of invariant natural killer T (iNKT)-cells with the superagonist alpha-galactosylceramide (alpha-GalCer) inhibits the development of T-cell-mediated autoimmune type 1 diabetes in NOD mice by inducing the downstream differentiation of antigen-presenting dendritic cells (DCs) to an immunotolerogenic state. However, in other systems iNKT-cell activation has an adjuvant-like effect that enhances rather than suppresses various immunological responses. Thus, we tested whether in some circumstances genetic variation would enable activated iNKT-cells to support rather than inhibit type 1 diabetes development. We tested whether iNKT-conditioned DCs in NOD mice and a major histocompatibility complex-matched C57BL/6 (B6) background congenic stock differed in capacity to inhibit type 1 diabetes induced by the adoptive transfer of pathogenic AI4 CD8 T-cells. Unlike those of NOD origin, iNKT-conditioned DCs in the B6 background stock matured to a state that actually supported rather than inhibited AI4 T-cell-induced type 1 diabetes. The induction of a differing activity pattern of T-cell costimulatory molecules varying in capacity to override programmed death-ligand-1 inhibitory effects contributes to the respective ability of iNKT-conditioned DCs in NOD and B6 background mice to inhibit or support type 1 diabetes development. Genetic differences inherent to both iNKT-cells and DCs contribute to their varying interactions in NOD and B6.H2(g7) mice. This great variability in the interactions between iNKT-cells and DCs in two inbred mouse strains should raise a cautionary note about considering manipulation of this axis as a potential type 1 diabetes prevention therapy in genetically heterogeneous humans.

CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING THE INTEGRATION OF FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE SYSTEM OF NATURAL LAW

OpenAIRE

Claudiu Ramon D. Butculescu

2016-01-01

This article studies the relationships and interactions between fundamental human rights and natural law school. The objectives of this paper are circumscribed to the way fundamental human rights, by their nature, can be integrated within the doctrine of natural law or to the contrary, may be related to various branches of legal positivism. In specialized literature, it was pointed out that fundamental human rights constitute genuine natural rights which have the same natural law ...

The local Gromov-Witten invariants of configurations of rational curves

CERN Document Server

Karp, D; Marino, M; CERN. Geneva; Karp, Dagan; Liu, Chiu-Chu Melissa; Marino, Marcos

2005-01-01

We compute the local Gromov-Witten invariants of certain configurations of rational curves in a Calabi-Yau threefold. These configurations are connected subcurves of the ``minimal trivalent configuration'', which is a particular tree of CP^1's with specified formal neighborhood. We show that these local invariants are equal to certain global or ordinary Gromov-Witten invariants of a blowup of CP^3 at points, and we compute these ordinary invariants using the geometry of the Cremona transform. We also realize the configurations in question as formal toric schemes and compute their formal Gromov-Witten invariants using the mathematical and physical theories of the topological vertex. In particular, we provide further evidence equating the vertex amplitudes derived from physical and mathematical theories of the topological vertex.

Projective invariants in a conformal finsler space - I

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mishra, C.K.; Singh, M.P.

1989-12-01

The projective invariants in a conformal Finsler space have been studied in regard to certain tensor and scalar which are invariant under projective transformation in a Finsler space. They have been the subject of further investigation by the present authors. (author). 8 refs

Dynamical invariants for variable quadratic Hamiltonians

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suslov, Sergei K

2010-01-01

We consider linear and quadratic integrals of motion for general variable quadratic Hamiltonians. Fundamental relations between the eigenvalue problem for linear dynamical invariants and solutions of the corresponding Cauchy initial value problem for the time-dependent Schroedinger equation are emphasized. An eigenfunction expansion of the solution of the initial value problem is also found. A nonlinear superposition principle for generalized Ermakov systems is established as a result of decomposition of the general quadratic invariant in terms of the linear ones.

Natural goodness and the political form of human life

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Müller Jan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Ethical Naturalism attempts to explain the objective normativity effective in human practices by reference to the relation between a living individual and the life-form it exhibits. This explanation falls short in the case of human beings (1 - not merely because of their essential rationality, but because the idea of normativity implicit in practice is dependent on the form of normativity’s being made explicit (2. I argue that this explicit form of normativity’s force and claim - the law in general - implies a tension between an explicit norm’s claim to absoluteness and the particularity of the situational case it is applied to. This tension may seem to produce an inherent violence corrupting the very idea of objective normativity inherent in the human form of life (3; in fact, it shows that the human form of life is essentially political. That the human form of life is essentially political does not contradict the idea of objective normativity - provided that this objectivity is not derived from a conception of “natural goodness”, but rather from the actuality of human practice and its principle, justice (4.

Numeric invariants from multidimensional persistence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Skryzalin, Jacek [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Carlsson, Gunnar [Stanford Univ., Stanford, CA (United States)

2017-05-19

In this paper, we analyze the space of multidimensional persistence modules from the perspectives of algebraic geometry. We first build a moduli space of a certain subclass of easily analyzed multidimensional persistence modules, which we construct specifically to capture much of the information which can be gained by using multidimensional persistence over one-dimensional persistence. We argue that the global sections of this space provide interesting numeric invariants when evaluated against our subclass of multidimensional persistence modules. Lastly, we extend these global sections to the space of all multidimensional persistence modules and discuss how the resulting numeric invariants might be used to study data.

Spontaneously broken abelian gauge invariant supersymmetric model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mainland, G.B.; Tanaka, K.

A model is presented that is invariant under an Abelian gauge transformation and a modified supersymmetry transformation. This model is broken spontaneously, and the interplay between symmetry breaking, Goldstone particles, and mass breaking is studied. In the present model, spontaneously breaking the Abelian symmetry of the vacuum restores the invariance of the vacuum under a modified supersymmetry transformation. (U.S.)

VOLTAIRE’S PHILOSOPHY: HUMAN NATURE AND INTERPRETATION OF RELIGION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu. Zimaryova

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the article is to determine and reconsider Voltaire’s ideas concerning religion and human nature. In order to achieve this purpose it is necessary to complete the following tasks: to analyse academic literature on Voltaire’s interpretation of the phenomenon of religion; to expose Voltaire’s basic ideas about human nature; to substantiate the importance of anthropological approach to the phenomenon of religion with the ideas of Voltaire’s philosophical works. Methodology. The achievements of anthropocentric philosophical thought of the XIX century possess great potential in the process of constructive comprehension and theoretical reconstruction of the anthropological intention that accompanies the process of philosophising. The research extensively applies hermeneutical method for interpreting Voltaire’s philosophy. Scientific novelty. In academic literature on Voltaire’s works we have ascertained the basic anthropological component of his philosophy and reconsider Voltaire’s ideas about religion as something that is rooted in human nature. Conclusions. In academic literature the interpretation of the phenomenon of religion in Voltaire’s heritage is a rather controversial one. At the one hand, Voltaire criticizes religion for its superstitions and fanaticism. On the other hand, he recognises the existence of God. In our opinion, the phenomenon of religion should be examined in the context of human nature and basic problems related to it such as the problem of soul and the problem of free will. The anthropological approach to the phenomenon of religion allows to avoid the extremity of atheistic and metaphysical approaches and to enable its anthropological interpretation.

Change of adiabatic invariant near the separatrix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bulanov, S.V.

1995-10-01

The properties of particle motion in the vicinity of the separatrix in a phase plane are investigated. The change of adiabatic invariant value due to the separatrix crossing is evaluated as a function of a perturbation parameter magnitude and a phase of a particle for time dependent Hamiltonians. It is demonstrated that the change of adiabatic invariant value near the separatrix birth is much larger than that in the case of the separatrix crossing near the saddle point in a phase plane. The conditions of a stochastic regime to appear around the separatrix are found. The results are applied to study the longitudinal invariant behaviour of charged particles near singular lines of the magnetic field. (author). 22 refs, 9 figs

Machine learning strategies for systems with invariance properties

Science.gov (United States)

Ling, Julia; Jones, Reese; Templeton, Jeremy

2016-08-01

In many scientific fields, empirical models are employed to facilitate computational simulations of engineering systems. For example, in fluid mechanics, empirical Reynolds stress closures enable computationally-efficient Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes simulations. Likewise, in solid mechanics, constitutive relations between the stress and strain in a material are required in deformation analysis. Traditional methods for developing and tuning empirical models usually combine physical intuition with simple regression techniques on limited data sets. The rise of high performance computing has led to a growing availability of high fidelity simulation data. These data open up the possibility of using machine learning algorithms, such as random forests or neural networks, to develop more accurate and general empirical models. A key question when using data-driven algorithms to develop these empirical models is how domain knowledge should be incorporated into the machine learning process. This paper will specifically address physical systems that possess symmetry or invariance properties. Two different methods for teaching a machine learning model an invariance property are compared. In the first method, a basis of invariant inputs is constructed, and the machine learning model is trained upon this basis, thereby embedding the invariance into the model. In the second method, the algorithm is trained on multiple transformations of the raw input data until the model learns invariance to that transformation. Results are discussed for two case studies: one in turbulence modeling and one in crystal elasticity. It is shown that in both cases embedding the invariance property into the input features yields higher performance at significantly reduced computational training costs.

Invariance algorithms for processing NDE signals

Science.gov (United States)

Mandayam, Shreekanth; Udpa, Lalita; Udpa, Satish S.; Lord, William

1996-11-01

Signals that are obtained in a variety of nondestructive evaluation (NDE) processes capture information not only about the characteristics of the flaw, but also reflect variations in the specimen's material properties. Such signal changes may be viewed as anomalies that could obscure defect related information. An example of this situation occurs during in-line inspection of gas transmission pipelines. The magnetic flux leakage (MFL) method is used to conduct noninvasive measurements of the integrity of the pipe-wall. The MFL signals contain information both about the permeability of the pipe-wall and the dimensions of the flaw. Similar operational effects can be found in other NDE processes. This paper presents algorithms to render NDE signals invariant to selected test parameters, while retaining defect related information. Wavelet transform based neural network techniques are employed to develop the invariance algorithms. The invariance transformation is shown to be a necessary pre-processing step for subsequent defect characterization and visualization schemes. Results demonstrating the successful application of the method are presented.

Efficient and Invariant Convolutional Neural Networks for Dense Prediction

OpenAIRE

Gao, Hongyang; Ji, Shuiwang

2017-01-01

Convolutional neural networks have shown great success on feature extraction from raw input data such as images. Although convolutional neural networks are invariant to translations on the inputs, they are not invariant to other transformations, including rotation and flip. Recent attempts have been made to incorporate more invariance in image recognition applications, but they are not applicable to dense prediction tasks, such as image segmentation. In this paper, we propose a set of methods...

Identification of a natural human serotype 3 parainfluenza virus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Xiao-Jing

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Parainfluenza virus is an important pathogen threatening the health of animals and human, which brings human many kinds of disease, especially lower respiratory tract infection involving infants and young children. In order to control the virus, it is necessary to fully understand the molecular basis resulting in the genetic diversity of the virus. Homologous recombination is one of mechanisms for the rapid change of genetic diversity. However, as a negative-strand virus, it is unknown whether the recombination can naturally take place in human PIV. In this study, we isolated and identified a mosaic serotype 3 human PIV (HPIV3 from in China, and also provided several putative PIV mosaics from previous reports to reveal that the recombination can naturally occur in the virus. In addition, two swine PIV3 isolates transferred from cattle to pigs were found to have mosaic genomes. These results suggest that homologous recombination can promote the genetic diversity and potentially bring some novel biologic characteristics of HPIV.

The Witten-Reshetikhin-Turaev invariants of finite order mapping tori II

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Jørgen Ellegaard; Himpel, Benjamin

2012-01-01

We identify the leading order term of the asymptotic expansion of the Witten–Reshetikhin–Turaev invariants for finite order mapping tori with classical invariants for all simple and simply-connected compact Lie groups. The square root of the Reidemeister torsion is used as a density on the moduli...... space of flat connections and the leading order term is identified with the integral over this moduli space of this density weighted by a certain phase for each component of the moduli space. We also identify this phase in terms of classical invariants such as Chern–Simons invariants, eta invariants...

The Human-Nature Relationship and Its Impact on Health: A Critical Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Seymour, Valentine

2016-01-01

Within the past four decades, research has been increasingly drawn toward understanding whether there is a link between the changing human-nature relationship and its impact on people's health. However, to examine whether there is a link requires research of its breadth and underlying mechanisms from an interdisciplinary approach. This article begins by reviewing the debates concerning the human-nature relationship, which are then critiqued and redefined from an interdisciplinary perspective. The concept and chronological history of "health" is then explored, based on the World Health Organization's definition. Combining these concepts, the human-nature relationship and its impact on human's health are then explored through a developing conceptual model. It is argued that using an interdisciplinary perspective can facilitate a deeper understanding of the complexities involved for attaining optimal health at the human-environmental interface.

Chronoprojective invariance of the five-dimensional Schroedinger formalism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perrin, M.; Burdet, G.; Duval, C.

1984-10-01

Invariance properties of the five-dimensional Schroedinger formalism describing a quantum test particle in the Newton-Cartan theory of gravitation are studied. The geometry which underlies these invariance properties is presented as a reduction of the 0(5,2) conformal geometry various applications are given

On Noether symmetries and form invariance of mechanico-electrical systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu Jingli; Chen Liqun

2004-01-01

This Letter focuses on form invariance and Noether symmetries of mechanico-electrical systems. Based on the invariance of Hamiltonian actions for mechanico-electrical systems under the infinitesimal transformation of the coordinates, the electric quantities and the time, the authors present the Noether symmetry transformation, the Noether quasi-symmetry transformation, the generalized Noether quasi-symmetry transformation and the general Killing equations of Lagrange mechanico-electrical systems and Lagrange-Maxwell mechanico-electrical systems. Using the invariance of the differential equations, satisfied by physical quantities, such as Lagrangian, non-potential general forces, under the infinitesimal transformation, the authors propose the definition and criterions of the form invariance for mechanico-electrical systems. The Letter also demonstrates connection between the Noether symmetries and the form invariance of mechanico-electrical systems. An example is designed to illustrate these results

Projective moment invariants

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Suk, Tomáš; Flusser, Jan

2004-01-01

Roč. 26, č. 10 (2004), s. 1364-1367 ISSN 0162-8828 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA201/03/0675 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z1075907 Keywords : projective transform * moment invariants * object recognition Subject RIV: JD - Computer Applications, Robotics Impact factor: 4.352, year: 2004 http://library.utia.cas.cz/prace/20040112.pdf

Fractal properties of critical invariant curves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunt, B.R.; Yorke, J.A.; Khanin, K.M.; Sinai, Y.G.

1996-01-01

We examine the dimension of the invariant measure for some singular circle homeomorphisms for a variety of rotation numbers, through both the thermodynamic formalism and numerical computation. The maps we consider include those induced by the action of the standard map on an invariant curve at the critical parameter value beyond which the curve is destroyed. Our results indicate that the dimension is universal for a given type of singularity and rotation number, and that among all rotation numbers, the golden mean produces the largest dimension

Lorentz and CPT invariances and the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen correlations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beauregard, O.C. de

1984-01-01

This paper shows that there is no conflict between Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) correlation and the new 1925 - 55 ''microrelativity principle'' stating the Lorentz and CPT invariance of physical law at the microlevel. The CPT invariance concept is a perfectly legal heir of the 1876 Loschmidt T-invariance concept. Therefore, the EPR-paradox can be understood as synthetizing two earlier ''paradoxes'': the wavelike probability calculus, and the T- or CPT-symmetry of elementary physical processes. The CPT-invariance can be summarized as the basic requirement of second quantization, that particle emission and antiparticle absorption are mathematically equivalent. The phenomenology displays causality as arrowless at the microlevel. The relativistic S-matrix scheme displays the CPT invariance of causality concept at the microlevel. In order to strengthen the point that the Lorentz and CPT invariant schemes of relativistic quantum mechanics do contain the full formalization of the EPR correlation, the covariant calculations pertaining to the subject are presented. The formalization of the EPR correlation and its interpretation are contained in the existing relativistic quantum mechanics. (Kato, T.)

Neurons with two sites of synaptic integration learn invariant representations.

Science.gov (United States)

Körding, K P; König, P

2001-12-01

Neurons in mammalian cerebral cortex combine specific responses with respect to some stimulus features with invariant responses to other stimulus features. For example, in primary visual cortex, complex cells code for orientation of a contour but ignore its position to a certain degree. In higher areas, such as the inferotemporal cortex, translation-invariant, rotation-invariant, and even view point-invariant responses can be observed. Such properties are of obvious interest to artificial systems performing tasks like pattern recognition. It remains to be resolved how such response properties develop in biological systems. Here we present an unsupervised learning rule that addresses this problem. It is based on a neuron model with two sites of synaptic integration, allowing qualitatively different effects of input to basal and apical dendritic trees, respectively. Without supervision, the system learns to extract invariance properties using temporal or spatial continuity of stimuli. Furthermore, top-down information can be smoothly integrated in the same framework. Thus, this model lends a physiological implementation to approaches of unsupervised learning of invariant-response properties.

Galilean invariance and homogeneous anisotropic randomly stirred flows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berera, Arjun; Hochberg, David

2005-01-01

The Ward-Takahashi identities for incompressible flow implied by Galilean invariance are derived for the randomly forced Navier-Stokes equation, in which both the mean and fluctuating velocity components are explicitly present. The consequences of the Galilean invariance for the vertex renormalization are drawn from this identity

SO(N) reformulated link invariants from topological strings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borhade, Pravina; Ramadevi, P.

2005-01-01

Large N duality conjecture between U(N) Chern-Simons gauge theory on S 3 and A-model topological string theory on the resolved conifold was verified at the level of partition function and Wilson loop observables. As a consequence, the conjectured form for the expectation value of the topological operators in A-model string theory led to a reformulation of link invariants in U(N) Chern-Simons theory giving new polynomial invariants whose integer coefficients could be given a topological meaning. We show that the A-model topological operator involving SO(N) holonomy leads to a reformulation of link invariants in SO(N) Chern-Simons theory. Surprisingly, the SO(N) reformulated invariants also has a similar form with integer coefficients. The topological meaning of the integer coefficients needs to be explored from the duality conjecture relating SO(N) Chern-Simons theory to A-model closed string theory on orientifold of the resolved conifold background

Manifestly scale-invariant regularization and quantum effective operators

CERN Document Server

Ghilencea, D.M.

2016-01-01

Scale invariant theories are often used to address the hierarchy problem, however the regularization of their quantum corrections introduces a dimensionful coupling (dimensional regularization) or scale (Pauli-Villars, etc) which break this symmetry explicitly. We show how to avoid this problem and study the implications of a manifestly scale invariant regularization in (classical) scale invariant theories. We use a dilaton-dependent subtraction function $\\mu(\\sigma)$ which after spontaneous breaking of scale symmetry generates the usual DR subtraction scale $\\mu(\\langle\\sigma\\rangle)$. One consequence is that "evanescent" interactions generated by scale invariance of the action in $d=4-2\\epsilon$ (but vanishing in $d=4$), give rise to new, finite quantum corrections. We find a (finite) correction $\\Delta U(\\phi,\\sigma)$ to the one-loop scalar potential for $\\phi$ and $\\sigma$, beyond the Coleman-Weinberg term. $\\Delta U$ is due to an evanescent correction ($\\propto\\epsilon$) to the field-dependent masses (of...

Differential invariants for higher-rank tensors. A progress report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tapial, V.

2004-07-01

We outline the construction of differential invariants for higher-rank tensors. In section 2 we outline the general method for the construction of differential invariants. A first result is that the simplest tensor differential invariant contains derivatives of the same order as the rank of the tensor. In section 3 we review the construction for the first-rank tensors (vectors) and second-rank tensors (metrics). In section 4 we outline the same construction for higher-rank tensors. (author)

Infrared asymptotics of a gauge-invariant propagator in quantum electrodynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skachkov, N.B.; Shevchenko, O.Yu.; Solovtsov, I.l.

1987-01-01

A new class of gauge-invariant fields is introduced. For the gauge-invariant propagator of a spinor field the analogue of the Dyson-Schwinger equations is derived. With the help of these equations as well as the functional integration method it is shown that the gauge-invariant spinor propagator has a simple pole singularity in the infrared region

Infrared asymptotics of a gauge-invariant propagator in quantum electrodynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skachkov, N.B.; Shevchenko, O.Yu.

1985-01-01

A new class of the gauge-invariant field is introduced. For the gauge-invariant propagator of a spinor field the analog of the Dyson-Schwinger equations is derived. By using these equations as well as the functional integration method it is shown that the gauge-invariant spinor propagator has a simple pole singularity in the infrared region

On renormalization-invariant masses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fleming, H.; Furuya, K.

1978-02-01

It is shown that spontaneous generation of renormalization invariant mass is possible in infra-red stable theories with more than one coupling constant. If relations among the coupling constants are permitted the effect can be made compatible with pertubation theory

Human Nature in the Adaptation of Trust

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nooteboom, B.

2006-01-01

This chapter pleads for more inspiration from human nature, in agent-based modeling.As an illustration of an effort in that direction, it summarizes and discusses an agentbased model of the build-up and adaptation of trust between multiple producers and suppliers.The central question is whether, and

Classically scale-invariant B–L model and conformal gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oda, Ichiro

2013-01-01

We consider a coupling of conformal gravity to the classically scale-invariant B–L extended standard model which has been recently proposed as a phenomenologically viable model realizing the Coleman–Weinberg mechanism of breakdown of the electroweak symmetry. As in a globally scale-invariant dilaton gravity, it is also shown in a locally scale-invariant conformal gravity that without recourse to the Coleman–Weinberg mechanism, the B–L gauge symmetry is broken in the process of spontaneous symmetry breakdown of the local scale invariance (Weyl invariance) at the tree level and as a result the B–L gauge field becomes massive via the Higgs mechanism. As a bonus of conformal gravity, the massless dilaton field does not appear and the parameters in front of the non-minimal coupling of gravity are completely fixed in the present model. This observation clearly shows that the conformal gravity has a practical application even if the scalar field does not possess any dynamical degree of freedom owing to the local scale symmetry

An Advanced Rotation Invariant Descriptor for SAR Image Registration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuming Xiang

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The Scale-Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT algorithm and its many variants have been widely used in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR image registration. The SIFT-like algorithms maintain rotation invariance by assigning a dominant orientation for each keypoint, while the calculation of dominant orientation is not robust due to the effect of speckle noise in SAR imagery. In this paper, we propose an advanced local descriptor for SAR image registration to achieve rotation invariance without assigning a dominant orientation. Based on the improved intensity orders, we first divide a circular neighborhood into several sub-regions. Second, rotation-invariant ratio orientation histograms of each sub-region are proposed by accumulating the ratio values of different directions in a rotation-invariant coordinate system. The proposed descriptor is composed of the concatenation of the histograms of each sub-region. In order to increase the distinctiveness of the proposed descriptor, multiple image neighborhoods are aggregated. Experimental results on several satellite SAR images have shown an improvement in the matching performance over other state-of-the-art algorithms.

SO(9,1) invariant matrix formulation of a supermembrane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujikawa, K.; Okuyama, K.

1998-01-01

An SO(9,1) invariant formulation of an 11-dimensional supermembrane is presented by combining an SO(10,1) invariant treatment of reparametrization symmetry with an SO(9,1) invariant θ R = 0 gauge of κ-symmetry. The Lagrangian thus defined consists of polynomials in dynamical variables (up to quartic terms in X μ and up to the eighth power in θ), and reparametrization BRST symmetry is manifest. The area preserving diffeomorphism is consistently incorporated and the area preserving gauge symmetry is made explicit. The SO(9,1) invariant theory contains terms which cannot be induced by a naive dimensional reduction of higher-dimensional supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. The SO(9,1) invariant Hamiltonian and the generator of area preserving diffeomorphism together with the supercharge are matrix regularized by applying the standard procedure. As an application of the present formulation, we evaluate the possible central charges in superalgebra both in the path integral and in the canonical (Dirac) formalism, and we find only the two-form charge [ X μ , X ν ]. (orig.)

Uniqueness of the gauge invariant action for cosmological perturbations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prokopec, Tomislav; Weenink, Jan

2012-01-01

In second order perturbation theory different definitions are known of gauge invariant perturbations in single field inflationary models. Consequently the corresponding gauge invariant cubic actions do not have the same form. Here we show that the cubic action for one choice of gauge invariant variables is unique in the following sense: the action for any other, non-linearly related variable can be brought to the same bulk action, plus additional boundary terms. These boundary terms correspond to the choice of hypersurface and generate extra, disconnected contributions to the bispectrum. We also discuss uniqueness of the action with respect to conformal frames. When expressed in terms of the gauge invariant curvature perturbation on uniform field hypersurfaces the action for cosmological perturbations has a unique form, independent of the original Einstein or Jordan frame. Crucial is that the gauge invariant comoving curvature perturbation is frame independent, which makes it extremely helpful in showing the quantum equivalence of the two frames, and therefore in calculating quantum effects in nonminimally coupled theories such as Higgs inflation

On the hierarchy of partially invariant submodels of differential equations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Golovin, Sergey V [Lavrentyev Institute of Hydrodynamics SB RAS, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation)], E-mail: sergey@hydro.nsc.ru

2008-07-04

It is noted that the partially invariant solution (PIS) of differential equations in many cases can be represented as an invariant reduction of some PISs of the higher rank. This introduces a hierarchic structure in the set of all PISs of a given system of differential equations. An equivalence of the two-step and the direct ways of construction of PISs is proved. The hierarchy simplifies the process of enumeration and analysis of partially invariant submodels to the given system of differential equations. In this framework, the complete classification of regular partially invariant solutions of ideal MHD equations is given.

On the hierarchy of partially invariant submodels of differential equations

Science.gov (United States)

Golovin, Sergey V.

2008-07-01

It is noted that the partially invariant solution (PIS) of differential equations in many cases can be represented as an invariant reduction of some PISs of the higher rank. This introduces a hierarchic structure in the set of all PISs of a given system of differential equations. An equivalence of the two-step and the direct ways of construction of PISs is proved. The hierarchy simplifies the process of enumeration and analysis of partially invariant submodels to the given system of differential equations. In this framework, the complete classification of regular partially invariant solutions of ideal MHD equations is given.

On the hierarchy of partially invariant submodels of differential equations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golovin, Sergey V

2008-01-01

It is noted that the partially invariant solution (PIS) of differential equations in many cases can be represented as an invariant reduction of some PISs of the higher rank. This introduces a hierarchic structure in the set of all PISs of a given system of differential equations. An equivalence of the two-step and the direct ways of construction of PISs is proved. The hierarchy simplifies the process of enumeration and analysis of partially invariant submodels to the given system of differential equations. In this framework, the complete classification of regular partially invariant solutions of ideal MHD equations is given

The worth of land use: a GIS-emergy evaluation of natural and human-made capital.

Science.gov (United States)

Mellino, Salvatore; Buonocore, Elvira; Ulgiati, Sergio

2015-02-15

Natural systems make their natural capital and ecosystem services available to human economy. A careful analysis of the interplay between natural and human-made capital is needed to prevent natural capital being overexploited for present economic benefits, affecting lifestyles and wellbeing of future generations. In this study, the emergy synthesis is used to evaluate the natural and the human-made capital of Campania region (southern Italy) by accounting for the environmental support directly and indirectly provided by nature to resource generation. Furthermore, geographic information system (GIS) models are integrated with the emergy accounting procedure to generate maps of the spatial patterns of both natural and human-made capital distribution. Regional storages of natural and human-made capital are identified and evaluated in emergy units (seJ). The human-made capital of the Campania region (6.29E+24seJ) results to be about 11 times higher than the natural capital (5.69E+23seJ) due to the past and present exploitation of the natural resources needed to generate it over time. Moreover, by overlaying the total natural capital map and the total human-made capital map with a map of the protected areas within the region, only the 19% of the regional natural capital appears to be concentrated within protected areas, while most of it (81%) is concentrated outside. These findings suggest that the conservation of natural resources is also necessary outside protected areas by means of suitable policies, directives and investments. The human-made capital is mainly concentrated (88%) inside non-protected areas and interacts with the local natural capital. A management of the interactions between the two categories of wealth is crucial to prevent that the growth of human-made storages degrades the natural ecosystems and the environment. The proposed emergy-GIS framework reveals to be a useful tool for environmental planning and resource management aimed to conserve and

Testing CPT invariance with neutrinos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohlsson, Tommy

2003-01-01

We investigate possible tests of CPT invariance on the level of event rates at neutrino factories. We do not assume any specific model, but phenomenological differences in the neutrino-antineutrino masses and mixing angles in a Lorentz invariance preserving context, which could be induced by physics beyond the Standard Model. We especially focus on the muon neutrino and antineutrino disappearance channels in order to obtain constraints on the neutrino-antineutrino mass and mixing angle differences. In a typical neutrino factory setup simulation, we find, for example, that vertical bar m 3 - m-bar 3 vertical bar $1.9 · 10 -4 eV and vertical bar ≡ 23 - ≡-bar 23 vertical bar < or approx. 2 deg

The Representation of Object Viewpoint in Human Visual Cortex

OpenAIRE

Andresen, David R.; Vinberg, Joakim; Grill-Spector, Kalanit

2008-01-01

Understanding the nature of object representations in the human brain is critical for understanding the neural basis of invariant object recognition. However, the degree to which object representations are sensitive to object viewpoint is unknown. Using fMRI we employed a parametric approach to examine the sensitivity to object view as a function of rotation (0°–180°), category (animal/vehicle) and fMRI-adaptation paradigm (short or long-lagged). For both categories and fMRI-adaptation paradi...

Spontaneously broken supersymmetry and Poincare invariance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tata, X.R.; Sudarshan, E.C.G.; Schechter, J.M.

1982-12-01

It is argued that the spontaneous breakdown of global supersymmetry is consistent with unbroken Poincare invariance if and only if the supersymmetry algebra A = 0 is understood to mean the invariance of the dynamical variables phi under the transformations generated by the algebra, i.e. [A, phi] = 0 rather than as an operator equation. It is further argued that this weakening of the algebra does not alter any of the conclusions about supersymmetric quantum field theories that have been obtained using the original (stronger) form of the algebra

Nonlinear Lorentz-invariant theory of gravitation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petry, W.

1976-01-01

A nonlinear Lorentz-invariant theory of gravitation and a Lorentz-invariant Hamiltonian for a particle with spin in the gravitational field are developed. The equations of motions are studied. The theory is applied to the three well known tests of General Relativity. In the special case of the red shift of spectral lines and of the deflection of light, the theory gives the same results as the General Theory of Relativity, whereas in the case of the perihelion of the Mercury, the theory gives 40,3'', in good agreement with experimental results of Dicke. (author)

Spontaneously broken supersymmetry and Poincare invariance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tata, X.R.; Sudarshan, E.C.G.; Schechter, J.M.

1983-01-01

It is argued that the spontaneous breakdown of global supersymmetry is consistent with unbroken Poincare invariance if and only if the supersymmetry algebra 'A=0' is understood to mean the invariance of the dynamical variables phi under the transformations generated by the algebra, i.e. [A, phi]=0 rather than as an operator equation. It is further argued that this 'weakening' of the algrebra does not alter any of the conclusions about supersymmetry quantum field theories that have been obtained using the original (stronger) form of the algebra. (orig.)

Jet invariant mass in quantum chromodynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clavelli, L.

1979-03-01

We give heuristic argument that a new class of observable related to the invariant mass of jets in e + e - annihilation is infrared finite to all orders of perturbation theory in Quantum Chromodynamics. We calculate the lowest order QCD predictions for the mass distribution as well as for the double differential cross section to produce back to back jets of invariant mass M 1 and M 2 . The resulting cross sections are quite different from that expected in simple hadronic fireball models and should provide experimentally accessible tests of QCD. (orig.) [de

The decomposition of global conformal invariants

CERN Document Server

Alexakis, Spyros

2012-01-01

This book addresses a basic question in differential geometry that was first considered by physicists Stanley Deser and Adam Schwimmer in 1993 in their study of conformal anomalies. The question concerns conformally invariant functionals on the space of Riemannian metrics over a given manifold. These functionals act on a metric by first constructing a Riemannian scalar out of it, and then integrating this scalar over the manifold. Suppose this integral remains invariant under conformal re-scalings of the underlying metric. What information can one then deduce about the Riemannian scalar? Dese

Linking human and natural systems in the planning process

Science.gov (United States)

Susan I. Stewart; Miranda H. Mockrin; Roger B. Hammer

2012-01-01

Planning links human and natural systems in the urban-rural interface by engaging people in consideration of the future of natural resources. We review evolving ideas about what planning entails, who it involves, and what its outcomes should be. Sense of place, collaboration, emergent planning, and other new developments in planning are discussed. Smaller plans,...

Random SU(2) invariant tensors

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Youning; Han, Muxin; Ruan, Dong; Zeng, Bei

2018-04-01

SU(2) invariant tensors are states in the (local) SU(2) tensor product representation but invariant under the global group action. They are of importance in the study of loop quantum gravity. A random tensor is an ensemble of tensor states. An average over the ensemble is carried out when computing any physical quantities. The random tensor exhibits a phenomenon known as ‘concentration of measure’, which states that for any bipartition the average value of entanglement entropy of its reduced density matrix is asymptotically the maximal possible as the local dimensions go to infinity. We show that this phenomenon is also true when the average is over the SU(2) invariant subspace instead of the entire space for rank-n tensors in general. It is shown in our earlier work Li et al (2017 New J. Phys. 19 063029) that the subleading correction of the entanglement entropy has a mild logarithmic divergence when n  =  4. In this paper, we show that for n  >  4 the subleading correction is not divergent but a finite number. In some special situation, the number could be even smaller than 1/2, which is the subleading correction of random state over the entire Hilbert space of tensors.

Anomalies and modular invariance in string theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schellekens, A.N.; Warner, N.P.

1986-01-01

All known anomaly cancellations of heterotic string theories are derived directly from one-loop modular invariance, and are shown to be related to a property of modular functions of weight 2. Using modular invariance infinite classes of anomaly free field theories are constructed in (8m+2) dimensions for any m. A generating function is obtained for the anomalies of string-related field theories in (8m+2) dimensions. (orig.)

Computer calculation of Witten's 3-manifold invariant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freed, D.S.; Gompf, R.E.

1991-01-01

Witten's 2+1 dimensional Chern-Simons theory is exactly solvable. We compute the partition function, a topological invariant of 3-manifolds, on generalized Seifert spaces. Thus we test the path integral using the theory of 3-manifolds. In particular, we compare the exact solution with the asymptotic formula predicted by perturbation theory. We conclude that this path integral works as advertised and gives an effective topological invariant. (orig.)

Infrared asymptotic behavior of gauge-invariant propagator in quantum electrodynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skachkov, N.B.; Solovtsov, I.L.; Shevchenko, O.Yu.

1987-01-01

A new class of gauge-invariant fields is introduced. The Dyson-Schwinger equations are obtained for the gauge-invariant generalization of the spinor propagator. On the basis of these equations, and also by means of functional methods, it is shown that the gauge-invariant spinor propagator has a singularity in the form of a simple pole in the infrared region

N=2 supergravity in superspace: the invariant action

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gal'perin, A.S.; Sokachev, E.

1987-01-01

This paper continues the formulation of harmonic superspace supergravity. We write down the invariant action for the first off-shell version of the theory. The proof of the invariance relies on the existence of a new 'hybrid' basis in harmonic superspace in which semi-chirality combined with analyticity are manifest

An Alternative to Liquid Human Nature at the Crossroads of the Technological Era

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Antonio Santos Arnaiz

2017-08-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the idea of an ethic of weakness, expressing distrust about the rise of exacerbated capitalist individualism that drives a technological perfectionism. The extended modernity, as uncompleted project, provides context around the strong separation between humanity and nature. Both concepts posts in relation to perfectionism of the human beings eventually devalue and even deny a more or less permanent human nature. It therefore urges return to a concept of human nature understood as the development program of a free human being, which includes a number of common elements due to genotypic and phenotypic traits, while an ontological concept of human dignity that stems from political equity of all human beings. Historical time must be rethought to make ethical, medical and legal decisions in technology with prudence and responsibility, considering that unfortunately processes undertaken are irreversible.

Expansion of highly activated invariant natural killer T cells with altered phenotype in acute dengue infection

Science.gov (United States)

Kamaladasa, A.; Wickramasinghe, N.; Adikari, T. N.; Gomes, L.; Shyamali, N. L. A.; Salio, M.; Cerundolo, V.; Ogg, G. S.

2016-01-01

Summary Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are capable of rapid activation and production of cytokines upon recognition of antigenic lipids presented by CD1d molecules. They have been shown to play a significant role in many viral infections and were observed to be highly activated in patients with acute dengue infection. In order to characterize further their role in dengue infection, we investigated the proportion of iNKT cells and their phenotype in adult patients with acute dengue infection. The functionality of iNKT cells in patients was investigated by both interferon (IFN)‐γ and interleukin (IL)−4 ex‐vivo enzyme‐linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assays following stimulation with alpha‐galactosyl‐ceramide (αGalCer). We found that circulating iNKT cell proportions were significantly higher (P = 0·03) in patients with acute dengue when compared to healthy individuals and were predominantly of the CD4+ subset. iNKT cells of patients with acute dengue had reduced proportions expressing CD8α and CD161 when compared to healthy individuals. The iNKT cells of patients were highly activated and iNKT activation correlated significantly with dengue virus‐specific immunoglobulin (Ig)G antibody levels. iNKT cells expressing Bcl‐6 (P = 0·0003) and both Bcl‐6 and inducible T cell co‐stimulator (ICOS) (P = 0·006) were increased significantly in patients when compared to healthy individuals. Therefore, our data suggest that in acute dengue infection there is an expansion of highly activated CD4+ iNKT cells, with reduced expression of CD161 markers. PMID:26874822

Stealth and Natural Disasters: Science, Policy and Human Behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Kieffer, S. W.

2008-12-01

Geophysicists, earth scientists, and other natural scientists play a key role in studying disasters, and are challenged to convey the science to the public and policy makers (including government and business). I have found it useful to introduce the concept of two general types of disasters to these audiences: natural and stealth. Natural disasters are geological phenomena over which we humans have some, but relatively little, control. Earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and volcanic eruptions are the most familiar examples, but exogenous events such as meteorite impacts, solar flares, and supernovae are also possibly disruptive. Natural disasters typically have an abrupt onset, cause immediate major change, are familiar from the historic record, and get much media and public attention. They cannot be prevented, but preplanning can ameliorate their effects. Natural disasters are increasingly amplified by us (humans), and we are increasingly affected by them due to our expanding presence on the planet. Less familiar disasters are unfolding in the near-term, but they are not happening in the minds of most people. They are approaching us stealthily, and for this reason I propose that we call them stealth disasters. They differ from natural disasters in several important ways: stealth disasters are primarily caused by, or driven by, the interaction of humans with complex cycles of processes on the planet. Examples are: fresh water shortages and contamination, soil degradation and loss, climate changes, ocean degradation. The onset of stealth disasters is incremental rather than abrupt. They may not unfold significantly during the course of one term of political office, but they are unfolding in our lifetime. We as individuals may or may not escape their consequences, but they will affect our children and grandchildren. If humans are familiar with stealth disasters at all, it is from a relatively local experience, e.g., flooding of the Mississippi or the Dust Bowl in the U

Invariant renormalization method for nonlinear realizations of dynamical symmetries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kazakov, D.I.; Pervushin, V.N.; Pushkin, S.V.

1977-01-01

The structure of ultraviolet divergences is investigated for the field theoretical models with nonlinear realization of the arbitrary semisimple Lie group, with spontaneously broken symmetry of vacuum. An invariant formulation of the background field method of renormalization is proposed which gives the manifest invariant counterterms off mass shell. A simple algorithm for construction of counterterms is developed. It is based on invariants of the group of dynamical symmetry in terms of the Cartan forms. The results of one-loop and two-loop calculations are reported

Lagrangian model of conformal invariant interacting quantum field theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lukierski, J.

1976-01-01

A Lagrangian model of conformal invariant interacting quantum field theory is presented. The interacting Lagrangian and free Lagrangian are derived replacing the canonical field phi by the field operator PHIsub(d)sup(c) and introducing the conformal-invariant interaction Lagrangian. It is suggested that in the conformal-invariant QFT with the dimensionality αsub(B) obtained from the bootstrep equation, the normalization constant c of the propagator and the coupling parametery do not necessarily need to satisfy the relation xsub(B) = phi 2 c 3

Training echo state networks for rotation-invariant bone marrow cell classification.

Science.gov (United States)

Kainz, Philipp; Burgsteiner, Harald; Asslaber, Martin; Ahammer, Helmut

2017-01-01

The main principle of diagnostic pathology is the reliable interpretation of individual cells in context of the tissue architecture. Especially a confident examination of bone marrow specimen is dependent on a valid classification of myeloid cells. In this work, we propose a novel rotation-invariant learning scheme for multi-class echo state networks (ESNs), which achieves very high performance in automated bone marrow cell classification. Based on representing static images as temporal sequence of rotations, we show how ESNs robustly recognize cells of arbitrary rotations by taking advantage of their short-term memory capacity. The performance of our approach is compared to a classification random forest that learns rotation-invariance in a conventional way by exhaustively training on multiple rotations of individual samples. The methods were evaluated on a human bone marrow image database consisting of granulopoietic and erythropoietic cells in different maturation stages. Our ESN approach to cell classification does not rely on segmentation of cells or manual feature extraction and can therefore directly be applied to image data.

View-invariant gait recognition method by three-dimensional convolutional neural network

Science.gov (United States)

Xing, Weiwei; Li, Ying; Zhang, Shunli

2018-01-01

Gait as an important biometric feature can identify a human at a long distance. View change is one of the most challenging factors for gait recognition. To address the cross view issues in gait recognition, we propose a view-invariant gait recognition method by three-dimensional (3-D) convolutional neural network. First, 3-D convolutional neural network (3DCNN) is introduced to learn view-invariant feature, which can capture the spatial information and temporal information simultaneously on normalized silhouette sequences. Second, a network training method based on cross-domain transfer learning is proposed to solve the problem of the limited gait training samples. We choose the C3D as the basic model, which is pretrained on the Sports-1M and then fine-tune C3D model to adapt gait recognition. In the recognition stage, we use the fine-tuned model to extract gait features and use Euclidean distance to measure the similarity of gait sequences. Sufficient experiments are carried out on the CASIA-B dataset and the experimental results demonstrate that our method outperforms many other methods.

The invariance of spin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bramson, B.D.

1978-01-01

An isolated system in general relativity makes a transition between stationary states. It is shown that the spin vectors of the system, long before and long after the emission of radiation, are supertranslation invariant and, hence, independent of the choice of Minkowski observation space. (author)

INVARIANTS OF GENERALIZED RAPOPORT-LEAS EQUATIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena N. Kushner

2018-01-01

Full Text Available For the generalized Rapoport-Leas equations, algebra of differential invariants is constructed with respect to point transformations, that is, transformations of independent and dependent variables. The finding of a general transformation of this type reduces to solving an extremely complicated functional equation. Therefore, following the approach of Sophus Lie, we restrict ourselves to the search for infinitesimal transformations which are generated by translations along the trajectories of vector fields. The problem of finding these vector fields reduces to the redefined system decision of linear differential equations with respect to their coefficients. The Rapoport-Leas equations arise in the study of nonlinear filtration processes in porous media, as well as in other areas of natural science: for example, these equations describe various physical phenomena: two-phase filtration in a porous medium, filtration of a polytropic gas, and propagation of heat at nuclear explosion. They are vital topic for research: in recent works of Bibikov, Lychagin, and others, the analysis of the symmetries of the generalized Rapoport-Leas equations has been carried out; finite-dimensional dynamics and conditions of attractors existence have been found. Since the generalized RapoportLeas equations are nonlinear partial differential equations of the second order with two independent variables; the methods of the geometric theory of differential equations are used to study them in this paper. According to this theory differential equations generate subvarieties in the space of jets. This makes it possible to use the apparatus of modern differential geometry to study differential equations. We introduce the concept of admissible transformations, that is, replacements of variables that do not derive equations outside the class of the Rapoport-Leas equations. Such transformations form a Lie group. For this Lie group there are differential invariants that separate

From Human Nature to Moral Judgments : Reframing Debates about Disability and Enhancement

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Harnacke, C.E.

2015-01-01

My goal in my dissertation is to develop an account of how a theory of human nature should be integrated into bioethics and to show what bioethics can gain from using this account. I explore the relevance of human nature for moral argumentation, and especially for bioethics. Thereby, I focus on

Nonsymmetric systems arising in the computation of invariant tori

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Trummer, M.R. [Simons Fraser Univ., Burnaby, British Columbia (Canada)

1996-12-31

We introduce two new spectral implementations for computing invariant tori. The underlying nonlinear partial differential equation although hyperbolic by nature, has periodic boundary conditions in both space and time. In our first approach we discretize the spatial variable, and find the solution via a shooting method. In our second approach, a full two-dimensional Fourier spectral discretization and Newton`s method lead to very large, sparse, nonsymmetric systems. These matrices are highly structured, but the sparsity pattern prohibits the use of direct solvers. A modified conjugate gradient type iterative solver appears to perform best for this type of problems. The two methods are applied to the van der Pol oscillator, and compared to previous algorithms. Several preconditioners are investigated.

3D Product authenticity model for online retail: An invariance analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Algharabat, R.

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This study investigates the effects of different levels of invariance analysis on three dimensional (3D product authenticity model (3DPAM constructs in the e- retailing context. A hypothetical retailer website presents a variety of laptops using 3D product visualisations. The proposed conceptual model achieves acceptable fit and the hypothesised paths are all valid. We empirically investigate the invariance across the subgroups to validate the results of our 3DPAM. We concluded that the 3D product authenticity model construct was invariant for our sample across different gender, level of education and study backgrounds. These findings suggested that all our subgroups conceptualised the 3DPAM similarly. Also the results show some non-invariance results for the structural and latent mean models. The gender group posits a non-invariance latent mean model. Study backgrounds group reveals a non-invariance result for the structural model. These findings allowed us to understand the 3DPAMs validity in the e-retail context. Managerial implications are explained.

Wave functions constructed from an invariant sum over histories satisfy constraints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halliwell, J.J.; Hartle, J.B.

1991-01-01

Invariance of classical equations of motion under a group parametrized by functions of time implies constraints between canonical coordinates and momenta. In the Dirac formulation of quantum mechanics, invariance is normally imposed by demanding that physical wave functions are annihilated by the operator versions of these constraints. In the sum-over-histories quantum mechanics, however, wave functions are specified, directly, by appropriate functional integrals. It therefore becomes an interesting question whether the wave functions so specified obey the operator constraints of the Dirac theory. In this paper, we show for a wide class of theories, including gauge theories, general relativity, and first-quantized string theories, that wave functions constructed from a sum over histories are, in fact, annihilated by the constraints provided that the sum over histories is constructed in a manner which respects the invariance generated by the constraints. By this we mean a sum over histories defined with an invariant action, invariant measure, and an invariant class of paths summed over

Multi-clues image retrieval based on improved color invariants

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Liu; Li, Jian-Xun

2012-05-01

At present, image retrieval has a great progress in indexing efficiency and memory usage, which mainly benefits from the utilization of the text retrieval technology, such as the bag-of-features (BOF) model and the inverted-file structure. Meanwhile, because the robust local feature invariants are selected to establish BOF, the retrieval precision of BOF is enhanced, especially when it is applied to a large-scale database. However, these local feature invariants mainly consider the geometric variance of the objects in the images, and thus the color information of the objects fails to be made use of. Because of the development of the information technology and Internet, the majority of our retrieval objects is color images. Therefore, retrieval performance can be further improved through proper utilization of the color information. We propose an improved method through analyzing the flaw of shadow-shading quasi-invariant. The response and performance of shadow-shading quasi-invariant for the object edge with the variance of lighting are enhanced. The color descriptors of the invariant regions are extracted and integrated into BOF based on the local feature. The robustness of the algorithm and the improvement of the performance are verified in the final experiments.

Controlling Chaos in Neuron Based on Lasalle Invariance Principle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei Duqu; Qin Yinghua

2011-01-01

A new control law is proposed to asymptotically stabilize the chaotic neuron system based on LaSalle invariant principle. The control technique does not require analytical knowledge of the system dynamics and operates without an explicit knowledge of the desired steady-state position. The well-known modified Hodgkin-Huxley (MHH) and Hindmarsh-Rose (HR) model neurons are taken as examples to verify the implementation of our method. Simulation results show the proposed control law is effective. The outcome of this study is significant since it is helpful to understand the learning process of a human brain towards the information processing, memory and abnormal discharge of the brain neurons. (general)

Protection of the human race against natural hazards (asteroids, comets, volcanoes, earthquakes)

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Joseph V.

1985-10-01

Although we justifiably worry about the danger of nuclear war to civilization, and perhaps even to survival of the human race, we tend to consider natural hazards (e.g., comets, asteroids, volcanoes, earthquakes) as unavoidable acts of God. In any human lifetime, a truly catastrophic natural event is very unlikely, but ultimately one will occur. For the first time in human history we have sufficient technical skills to begin protection of Earth from some natural hazards. We could decide collectively throughout the world to reassign resources: in particular, reduction of nuclear and conventional weapons to a less dangerous level would allow concomitant increase of international programs for detection and prevention of natural hazards. Worldwide cooperation to mitigate natural hazards might help psychologically to lead us away from the divisive bickering that triggers wars. Future generations could hail us as pioneers of peace and safety rather than curse us as agents of death and destruction.

Robust Image Hashing Using Radon Transform and Invariant Features

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y.L. Liu

2016-09-01

Full Text Available A robust image hashing method based on radon transform and invariant features is proposed for image authentication, image retrieval, and image detection. Specifically, an input image is firstly converted into a counterpart with a normalized size. Then the invariant centroid algorithm is applied to obtain the invariant feature point and the surrounding circular area, and the radon transform is employed to acquire the mapping coefficient matrix of the area. Finally, the hashing sequence is generated by combining the feature vectors and the invariant moments calculated from the coefficient matrix. Experimental results show that this method not only can resist against the normal image processing operations, but also some geometric distortions. Comparisons of receiver operating characteristic (ROC curve indicate that the proposed method outperforms some existing methods in classification between perceptual robustness and discrimination.

Groups of homeomorphisms of the line. Criteria for the existence of invariant and projectively invariant measures in terms of the commutator subgroup

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beklaryan, L A [Central Economics and Mathematics Institute, RAS, Moscow (Russian Federation)

2014-12-31

Existence criteria for invariant and projectively invariant measures are obtained for a group G of homeomorphisms of the line. These criteria are formulated in terms of the commutator subgroup [G,G]. For the special (but very important) case of groups of homeomorphisms of the line containing a freely acting element we obtain a criterion for the existence of a projectively invariant measure in the form of the absence of a special subgroup with two generators in which one of the generating elements is a freely acting element. Bibliography: 20 titles.

Gauge invariance and holographic renormalization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Keun-Young Kim

2015-10-01

Full Text Available We study the gauge invariance of physical observables in holographic theories under the local diffeomorphism. We find that gauge invariance is intimately related to the holographic renormalization: the local counter terms defined in the boundary cancel most of gauge dependences of the on-shell action as well as the divergences. There is a mismatch in the degrees of freedom between the bulk theory and the boundary one. We resolve this problem by noticing that there is a residual gauge symmetry (RGS. By extending the RGS such that it satisfies infalling boundary condition at the horizon, we can understand the problem in the context of general holographic embedding of a global symmetry at the boundary into the local gauge symmetry in the bulk.

Test of CPT and Lorentz invariance from muonium spectroscopy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hughes, V. W.; Perdekamp, M. Grosse; Kawall, D.; Liu, W.; Jungmann, K.; Putlitz, G. zu

2001-01-01

Following a suggestion of Kostelecky et al. we have evaluated a test of CPT and Lorentz invariance from the microwave spectroscopy of muonium. Hamiltonian terms beyond the standard model violating CPT and Lorentz invariance would contribute frequency shifts $\\delta\

Minkowski spacetime and Lorentz invariance: The cart and the horse or two sides of a single coin?

Science.gov (United States)

Acuña, Pablo

2016-08-01

Michel Janssen and Harvey Brown have driven a prominent recent debate concerning the direction of an alleged arrow of explanation between Minkowski spacetime and Lorentz invariance of dynamical laws in special relativity. In this article, I critically assess this controversy with the aim of clarifying the explanatory foundations of the theory. First, I show that two assumptions shared by the parties-that the dispute is independent of issues concerning spacetime ontology, and that there is an urgent need for a constructive interpretation of special relativity-are problematic and negatively affect the debate. Second, I argue that the whole discussion relies on a misleading conception of the link between Minkowski spacetime structure and Lorentz invariance, a misconception that in turn sheds more shadows than light on our understanding of the explanatory nature and power of Einstein's theory. I state that the arrow connecting Lorentz invariance and Minkowski spacetime is not explanatory and unidirectional, but analytic and bidirectional, and that this analytic arrow grounds the chronogeometric explanations of physical phenomena that special relativity offers.

Implicit Moment Invariants

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Flusser, Jan; Kautský, J.; Šroubek, Filip

2010-01-01

Roč. 86, č. 1 (2010), s. 72-86 ISSN 0920-5691 R&D Projects: GA MŠk 1M0572; GA ČR GA102/08/1593 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : Implicit invariants * Orthogonal polynomials * Polynomial image deformation Subject RIV: BD - Theory of Information Impact factor: 4.930, year: 2010 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2009/ZOI/flusser-0329394.pdf

Emission of a propagation invariant flat-top beam from a microchip laser

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naidoo, Darryl [Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, National Laser Centre, P.O. Box 395, Pretoria 0001 (South Africa); Harfouche, A. [Faculté de Physique, Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumédiène, B.P. no 32, El Alia, 16111 Algiers (Algeria); Fromager, Michael; Ait-Ameur, Kamel [Centre de Recherche sur les Ions, les Matériaux et la Photonique, Unité Mixte de Recherche de Recherche 6252, Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Caen Basse Normandie, Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Ingénieurs de Caen, Boulevard Maréchal Juin, F14050 Caen (France); Forbes, Andrew, E-mail: andrew.forbes@wits.ac.za [School of Physics, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg 2050 (South Africa)

2016-02-15

Light beams with a flat-top intensity profile have found many applications in both pure and applied studies, but are not the natural modes of conventional light sources such as lasers. Moreover, such light beams are also not the eigenmodes of the wave equation in a vacuum and so change their intensity profile dramatically during propagation. Here we overcome both these limitations and create a propagation invariant flat-top beam from a microchip laser. By optical feedback into the excited medium we are able to create emission that is an incoherent mix of two spatial modes, a Gaussian and a donut, so that the sum is a flat-top beam that maintains its shape to infinity. Such miniature sources that emit structured light will be attractive for integrated light-based technologies. - Highlights: • First demonstration of the generation of a flat-top beam from a microchip laser. • The flat-top beam is shape-invariant during propagation. • By optical feedback we can select the desired shape from the microchip laser.

Emission of a propagation invariant flat-top beam from a microchip laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naidoo, Darryl; Harfouche, A.; Fromager, Michael; Ait-Ameur, Kamel; Forbes, Andrew

2016-01-01

Light beams with a flat-top intensity profile have found many applications in both pure and applied studies, but are not the natural modes of conventional light sources such as lasers. Moreover, such light beams are also not the eigenmodes of the wave equation in a vacuum and so change their intensity profile dramatically during propagation. Here we overcome both these limitations and create a propagation invariant flat-top beam from a microchip laser. By optical feedback into the excited medium we are able to create emission that is an incoherent mix of two spatial modes, a Gaussian and a donut, so that the sum is a flat-top beam that maintains its shape to infinity. Such miniature sources that emit structured light will be attractive for integrated light-based technologies. - Highlights: • First demonstration of the generation of a flat-top beam from a microchip laser. • The flat-top beam is shape-invariant during propagation. • By optical feedback we can select the desired shape from the microchip laser.

A Family of Invariant Stress Surfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krenk, S.

A family of invariant stress surfaces with a cubic dependence on the deviatoric stress components is expressed as a linear combination of the second and third deviatori stress invariants. A simple geometric derivation demonstrates the convexity of the contours in the deviatoric plane. An explicit...... representation of the deviatoric contours in terms of a size and a shape parameter is given. The shape parameter effects a continuous transition from a triangle to a circle in the deviatoric plane. An explicit format in terms of the triaxial compresson and tension generators is derived, and the plane stress...

Reparametrization invariance and the Schroedinger equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tkach, V.I.; Pashnev, A.I.; Rosales, J.J.

1999-01-01

A time-dependent Schroedinger equation for systems invariant under the reparametrization of time is considered. We develop the two-stage procedure of construction such systems from a given initial ones, which are not invariant under the time reparametrization. One of the first-class constraints of the systems in such description becomes the time-dependent Schroedinger equation. The procedure is applicable in the supersymmetric theories as well. The n = 2 supersymmetric quantum mechanics is coupled to world-line supergravity, and the local supersymmetric action is constructed leading to the square root representation of the time-dependent Schroedinger equation

Maslow Revisited: Constructing a Road Map of Human Nature

Science.gov (United States)

O'Connor, Dennis; Yballe, Leodones

2007-01-01

Given the scope and intent of Maslow's work, the current textbook treatment is wanting. Therefore, an inductive exercise has been created and is offered here to build "the road map of human nature." This age-old, philosophic focus on our true nature has been a way to successfully engage and inspire both our students and our pedagogy. In the spirit…

Nature Contact and Human Health: A Research Agenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Frumkin, Howard; Bratman, Gregory N; Breslow, Sara Jo; Cochran, Bobby; Kahn, Peter H; Lawler, Joshua J; Levin, Phillip S; Tandon, Pooja S; Varanasi, Usha; Wolf, Kathleen L; Wood, Spencer A

2017-07-31

At a time of increasing disconnectedness from nature, scientific interest in the potential health benefits of nature contact has grown. Research in recent decades has yielded substantial evidence, but large gaps remain in our understanding. We propose a research agenda on nature contact and health, identifying principal domains of research and key questions that, if answered, would provide the basis for evidence-based public health interventions. We identify research questions in seven domains: a ) mechanistic biomedical studies; b ) exposure science; c ) epidemiology of health benefits; d ) diversity and equity considerations; e ) technological nature; f ) economic and policy studies; and g ) implementation science. Nature contact may offer a range of human health benefits. Although much evidence is already available, much remains unknown. A robust research effort, guided by a focus on key unanswered questions, has the potential to yield high-impact, consequential public health insights. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1663.

Viability, invariance and applications

CERN Document Server

Carja, Ovidiu; Vrabie, Ioan I

2007-01-01

The book is an almost self-contained presentation of the most important concepts and results in viability and invariance. The viability of a set K with respect to a given function (or multi-function) F, defined on it, describes the property that, for each initial data in K, the differential equation (or inclusion) driven by that function or multi-function) to have at least one solution. The invariance of a set K with respect to a function (or multi-function) F, defined on a larger set D, is that property which says that each solution of the differential equation (or inclusion) driven by F and issuing in K remains in K, at least for a short time.The book includes the most important necessary and sufficient conditions for viability starting with Nagumo's Viability Theorem for ordinary differential equations with continuous right-hand sides and continuing with the corresponding extensions either to differential inclusions or to semilinear or even fully nonlinear evolution equations, systems and inclusions. In th...

Consequences of the Chernobyl accident for the natural and human environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dreicer, M. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States); Aarkog, A. [Risoe National Lab., Roskilde (Denmark); Alexakhin, R. [Russian Inst. of Agricultural Radiology and Agroecology (Russian Federation); Anspaugh, L. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States); Arkhipov, N.P. [Scientific and Technical Centre of the RIA `Pripyat` (Ukraine); Johansson, K.-J. [Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala (Sweden)

1996-07-01

In the ten years since the Chernobyl accident, an enormous amount of work has been done to assess the consequences to the natural and human environment. Although it is difficult to summarize such a large and varied field, some general conclusions can be drawn. This background paper includes the main findings concerning the direct impacts of radiation on the flora and fauna; the general advances of knowledge in the cycling of radionuclides in natural, seminatural and agricultural environments; some evaluation of countermeasures that were used; and a summary of the human radiation doses resulting from the environmental contamination. although open questions still remain, it can be concluded that: (1) at high radiation levels, the natural environment has shown short term impacts but any significant long term impacts remain to be seen; (2) effective countermeasures can be taken to reduce the transfer of contamination from the environment to humans but these are highly site specific and must be evaluated in terms of practicality as well as population does reduction; (3) the majority of the doses have already been received by the human population. If agricultural countermeasures are appropriately taken, the main source of future doses will be the gathering of food and recreational activities in natural and seminatural ecosystems.

Consequences of the Chernobyl accident for the natural and human environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dreicer, M.; Aarkog, A.; Alexakhin, R.; Anspaugh, L.; Arkhipov, N.P.; Johansson, K.-J.

1996-07-01

In the ten years since the Chernobyl accident, an enormous amount of work has been done to assess the consequences to the natural and human environment. Although it is difficult to summarize such a large and varied field, some general conclusions can be drawn. This background paper includes the main findings concerning the direct impacts of radiation on the flora and fauna; the general advances of knowledge in the cycling of radionuclides in natural, seminatural and agricultural environments; some evaluation of countermeasures that were used; and a summary of the human radiation doses resulting from the environmental contamination. although open questions still remain, it can be concluded that: (1) at high radiation levels, the natural environment has shown short term impacts but any significant long term impacts remain to be seen; (2) effective countermeasures can be taken to reduce the transfer of contamination from the environment to humans but these are highly site specific and must be evaluated in terms of practicality as well as population does reduction; (3) the majority of the doses have already been received by the human population. If agricultural countermeasures are appropriately taken, the main source of future doses will be the gathering of food and recreational activities in natural and seminatural ecosystems

Natural Tendency towards Beauty in Humans: Evidence from Binocular Rivalry.

Science.gov (United States)

Mo, Ce; Xia, Tiansheng; Qin, Kaixin; Mo, Lei

2016-01-01

Although human preference for beauty is common and compelling in daily life, it remains unknown whether such preference is essentially subserved by social cognitive demands or natural tendency towards beauty encoded in the human mind intrinsically. Here we demonstrate experimentally that humans automatically exhibit preference for visual and moral beauty without explicit cognitive efforts. Using a binocular rivalry paradigm, we identified enhanced gender-independent perceptual dominance for physically attractive persons, and the results suggested universal preference for visual beauty based on perceivable forms. Moreover, we also identified perceptual dominance enhancement for characters associated with virtuous descriptions after controlling for facial attractiveness and vigilance-related attention effects, which suggested a similar implicit preference for moral beauty conveyed in prosocial behaviours. Our findings show that behavioural preference for beauty is driven by an inherent natural tendency towards beauty in humans rather than explicit social cognitive processes.

On the cognition of laws of nature

OpenAIRE

WEINGARTNER PAUL

2003-01-01

In this paper I shall discuss the problem of cognition of laws of nature on the following different levels of understanding: (i) First level of understanding of laws of nature: the Greek Ideal of Science (ii) Second level: Space Time Invariance (iii) Third level: Dynamical Laws (iv) Fourth level: Statistical Laws (v) Fifth level: Laws and Causality (vi) Sixth level: Chaotic Motion (vii) Seventh level: Initial conditions and Constants of Nature

An empirically informed critique of Habermas' argument from human nature.

Science.gov (United States)

Morar, Nicolae

2015-02-01

In a near-future world of bionics and biotechnology, the main ethical and political issue will be the definition of who we are. Could biomedical enhancements transform us to such an extent that we would be other than human? Habermas argues that any genetic enhancement intervention that could potentially alter 'human nature' should be morally prohibited since it alters the child's nature or the very essence that makes the child who he is. This practice also commits the child to a specific life project or, in any case, it puts specific restrictions on his freedom to choose a life of his own. Ultimately, genetic enhancement jeopardizes the very foundations of moral equality. I contend that Habermas' argument is based either on a series of presuppositions that imply a gross misunderstanding of evolution or the relevant factual information concerning the action we are about to morally assess is not empirically supported. Hence, the argument from human nature is based on a series of false or problematic assumptions, and, as such, it fails to play the normative role intended by Habermas.

Essentialism Regarding Human Nature in the Defence of Gender Equality in Education

Science.gov (United States)

Holma, Katariina

2007-01-01

In this article I consider contemporary philosophical conceptions of human nature from the point of view of the ideal of gender equality. My main argument is that an essentialist account of human nature, unlike what I take to be its two main alternatives (the subjectivist account and the cultural account), is able coherently to justify the…

Personality psychology : Domains of knowledge about human nature

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Larsen, Randy J.; Buss, David M.; Wismeijer, Andreas; Song, John; van den Berg, Stéphanie Martine

Using a unique organizational framework that emphasizes six domains of knowledge about human nature, Personality Psychology presents an accessible, contemporary look at personality as a collection of interrelated topics and themes. The book focuses on the scientific basis of our knowledge about

3D rotation invariants of Gaussian-Hermite moments

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Yang, Bo; Flusser, Jan; Suk, Tomáš

2015-01-01

Roč. 54, č. 1 (2015), s. 18-26 ISSN 0167-8655 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP103/11/1552 Institutional support: RVO:67985556 Keywords : Rotation invariants * Orthogonal moments * Gaussian–Hermite moments * 3D moment invariants Subject RIV: IN - Informatics, Computer Science Impact factor: 1.586, year: 2015 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2014/ZOI/yang-0438325.pdf

Measurement invariance of the Portrait Values Questionnaire across 25 European countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scholderer, Joachim

The Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ) is tested for cross-cultural validity. Measurement characteristics are compared across representative consumer samples from 25 European countries (total N = 37,592) using multi-group confirmatory factor analysis with structured means. The results suggest....... Hence, most direct comparisons of PVQ raw scores and sample statistics between European countries are valid without correction. Furthermore, it can be concluded that the ten values measured by the PVQ are invariant across European countries in terms of their relative position on the quasi......-circumplex hypothesised by the theory of basic human values....

Invariant NKT cells are required for airway inflammation induced by environmental antigens

OpenAIRE

Wingender, Gerhard; Rogers, Paul; Batzer, Glenda; Lee, Myung Steve; Bai, Dong; Pei, Bo; Khurana, Archana; Kronenberg, Mitchell; Horner, Anthony A.

2011-01-01

Invariant NKT cells (iNKT cells) are a unique subset of T lymphocytes that rapidly carry out effector functions. In this study, we report that a majority of sterile house dust extracts (HDEs) tested contained antigens capable of activating mouse and human iNKT cells. HDEs had adjuvant-like properties in an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma model, which were dependent on V?14i NKT cells, as vaccinated animals deficient for iNKT cells displayed significantly attenuated immune responses and airway ...

Evolution of Brain Tumor and Stability of Geometric Invariants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Tawbe

2008-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a method to reconstruct and to calculate geometric invariants on brain tumors. The geometric invariants considered in the paper are the volume, the area, the discrete Gauss curvature, and the discrete mean curvature. The volume of a tumor is an important aspect that helps doctors to make a medical diagnosis. And as doctors seek a stable calculation, we propose to prove the stability of some invariants. Finally, we study the evolution of brain tumor as a function of time in two or three years depending on patients with MR images every three or six months.

Generalized WKB method through an appropriate canonical transformation giving an exact invariant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guyard, J.; Nadeau, A.

1976-01-01

The solution of differential equations of the type d 2 q/dtau 2 +ω 2 (tau)q=0 is of great interest in Physics. Authors often introduce an auxiliary function w, solution of a differential equation which can be solved by a perturbation method. In fact this approach is nothing but an extension of the well known WKB method. Lewis has found an exact invariant of the motion given in closed form in terms in a much easier way. This method can now be used as a natural way of introducing the WKB extension [fr

Polarization particle drift and quasi-particle invariants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sosenko, P.P.

1995-01-01

The second-order approximation in quasi-particle description of magnetized plasmas is studied. Reduced particle and guiding-centre velocities are derived taking account of the second-order renormalization and polarization drift modified owing to finite-Larmor-radius effects. The second-order adiabatic invariant of quasi-particle motion is found. Global adiabatic invariants for the magnetized plasma are revealed, and their possible role in energy exchange between particles and fields, nonlinear mode cascades and global plasma stability is shown. 49 refs

The Invariant Properties of Two-Port Circuits

OpenAIRE

Alexandr A. Penin

2009-01-01

Application of projective geometry to the theory of two-ports and cascade circuits with a load change is considered. The equations linking the input and output of a two-port are interpreted as projective transformations which have the invariant as a cross-ratio of four points. This invariant has place for all regime parameters in all parts of a cascade circuit. This approach allows justifying the definition of a regime and its change, to calculate a circuit without explicitly finding the apar...

Hermiticity and gauge invariance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Treder, H.J.

1987-01-01

In the Theory of Hermitian Relativity (HRT) the postulates of hermiticity and gauge invariance are formulated in different ways, due to a different understanding of the idea of hermiticity. However all hermitian systems of equations have to satisfy Einstein's weak system of equations being equivalent to Einstein-Schroedinger equations. (author)

Plato, Freud and Marx on Human Nature: A Comparative Analysis ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper examines the conceptions of human nature by Plato, Sigmund Freud and Karl Marx, with a view to revealing and explaining the convergence and divergence between these conceptions. It shows that agreement or disagreement on the distinguishing characteristics of human individuals can be situated on ...

Generalized Hough transform based time invariant action recognition with 3D pose information

Science.gov (United States)

Muench, David; Huebner, Wolfgang; Arens, Michael

2014-10-01

Human action recognition has emerged as an important field in the computer vision community due to its large number of applications such as automatic video surveillance, content based video-search and human robot interaction. In order to cope with the challenges that this large variety of applications present, recent research has focused more on developing classifiers able to detect several actions in more natural and unconstrained video sequences. The invariance discrimination tradeoff in action recognition has been addressed by utilizing a Generalized Hough Transform. As a basis for action representation we transform 3D poses into a robust feature space, referred to as pose descriptors. For each action class a one-dimensional temporal voting space is constructed. Votes are generated from associating pose descriptors with their position in time relative to the end of an action sequence. Training data consists of manually segmented action sequences. In the detection phase valid human 3D poses are assumed as input, e.g. originating from 3D sensors or monocular pose reconstruction methods. The human 3D poses are normalized to gain view-independence and transformed into (i) relative limb-angle space to ensure independence of non-adjacent joints or (ii) geometric features. In (i) an action descriptor consists of the relative angles between limbs and their temporal derivatives. In (ii) the action descriptor consists of different geometric features. In order to circumvent the problem of time-warping we propose to use a codebook of prototypical 3D poses which is generated from sample sequences of 3D motion capture data. This idea is in accordance with the concept of equivalence classes in action space. Results of the codebook method are presented using the Kinect sensor and the CMU Motion Capture Database.

The adaptor molecule SAP plays essential roles during invariant NKT cell cytotoxicity and lytic synapse formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Rupali; Bassiri, Hamid; Guan, Peng; Wiener, Susan; Banerjee, Pinaki P; Zhong, Ming-Chao; Veillette, André; Orange, Jordan S; Nichols, Kim E

2013-04-25

The adaptor molecule signaling lymphocytic activation molecule-associated protein (SAP) plays critical roles during invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cell ontogeny. As a result, SAP-deficient humans and mice lack iNKT cells. The strict developmental requirement for SAP has made it difficult to discern its possible involvement in mature iNKT cell functions. By using temporal Cre recombinase-mediated gene deletion to ablate SAP expression after completion of iNKT cell development, we demonstrate that SAP is essential for T-cell receptor (TCR)-induced iNKT cell cytotoxicity against T-cell and B-cell leukemia targets in vitro and iNKT-cell-mediated control of T-cell leukemia growth in vivo. These findings are not restricted to the murine system: silencing RNA-mediated suppression of SAP expression in human iNKT cells also significantly impairs TCR-induced cytolysis. Mechanistic studies reveal that iNKT cell killing requires the tyrosine kinase Fyn, a known SAP-binding protein. Furthermore, SAP expression is required within iNKT cells to facilitate their interaction with T-cell targets and induce reorientation of the microtubule-organizing center to the immunologic synapse (IS). Collectively, these studies highlight a novel and essential role for SAP during iNKT cell cytotoxicity and formation of a functional IS.

Attainable conditions and exact invariant for the time-dependent harmonic oscillator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guasti, Manuel Fernandez [Lab. de Optica Cuantica, Dep. de Fisica, Universidad A. Metropolitana, Unidad Iztapalapa, Mexico DF, Ap. Post. 55-534 (Mexico)

2006-09-22

The time-dependent oscillator equation is solved numerically for various trajectories in amplitude and phase variables. The solutions exhibit a finite time-dependent parameter whenever the squared amplitude times the derivative of the phase is invariant. If the invariant relationship does not hold, the time-dependent parameter has divergent singularities. These observations lead to the proposition that the harmonic oscillator equation with finite time-dependent parameter must have amplitude and phase solutions fulfilling the invariant relationship. Since the time-dependent parameter or the potential must be finite for any real oscillator implementation, the invariant must hold for any such physically realizable system.

Attainable conditions and exact invariant for the time-dependent harmonic oscillator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guasti, Manuel Fernandez

2006-01-01

The time-dependent oscillator equation is solved numerically for various trajectories in amplitude and phase variables. The solutions exhibit a finite time-dependent parameter whenever the squared amplitude times the derivative of the phase is invariant. If the invariant relationship does not hold, the time-dependent parameter has divergent singularities. These observations lead to the proposition that the harmonic oscillator equation with finite time-dependent parameter must have amplitude and phase solutions fulfilling the invariant relationship. Since the time-dependent parameter or the potential must be finite for any real oscillator implementation, the invariant must hold for any such physically realizable system

Equidistribution for Nonuniformly Expanding Dynamical Systems, and Application to the Almost Sure Invariance Principle

Science.gov (United States)

Korepanov, Alexey

2017-12-01

Let {T : M \\to M} be a nonuniformly expanding dynamical system, such as logistic or intermittent map. Let {v : M \\to R^d} be an observable and {v_n = \\sum_{k=0}^{n-1} v circ T^k} denote the Birkhoff sums. Given a probability measure {μ} on M, we consider v n as a discrete time random process on the probability space {(M, μ)} . In smooth ergodic theory there are various natural choices of {μ} , such as the Lebesgue measure, or the absolutely continuous T-invariant measure. They give rise to different random processes. We investigate relation between such processes. We show that in a large class of measures, it is possible to couple (redefine on a new probability space) every two processes so that they are almost surely close to each other, with explicit estimates of "closeness". The purpose of this work is to close a gap in the proof of the almost sure invariance principle for nonuniformly hyperbolic transformations by Melbourne and Nicol.

Participation of CD161(+) and invariant natural killer T cells in pediatric asthma exacerbations.

Science.gov (United States)

Carpio-Pedroza, Juan C; Vaughan, Gilberto; del Rio-Navarro, Blanca E; del Río-Chivardí, Jaime M; Vergara-Castañeda, Arely; Jiménez-Zamudio, Luis A; Morales-Flores, Amelia; Rodríguez-Moreno, Guadalupe; Ruiz-Tovar, Karina; Fonseca-Coronado, Salvador; Gonçalves Rossi, Livia M; Escobar-Gutiérrez, Alejandro

2013-01-01

Asthma has been defined as a disease of chronic airway inflammation in which many cells and cellular products participate with variable degrees of airflow obstruction and hyperresponsiveness that lead to recurrent episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing. Prominent among these cellular elements are two cell types referred to as the invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells and a subpopulation of T cells expressing the molecule CD161, which are both thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of asthma. Although the presence of iNKT and other CD161(+) cells in murine models has been associated with asthma, relatively few studies have been performed in the adult patient with asthma that have been often conflicting and even fewer studies are available in children. The present study was performed to investigate the peripheral blood frequencies of iNKT and CD161(+) T cells in children with asthma. A total of 35 children, 19 stable asthmatic patients, 6 who had experienced an asthmatic attack within 24 hours and had not received any treatment, and 10 healthy controls, aged 6-12 years, were enrolled in the study. iNKT and CD161(+) T-cell frequencies in blood were measured together with quantitative levels of IL-4 and interferon (IFN) γ using a cytofluorimetric approach. The results show that iNKT cells are increased in pediatric asthmatic patients undergoing exacerbations of asthma. These cells also produced less IFN-γ and more IL-4 than children with stable asthma and in healthy control children. These results suggest that iNKT cells might participate in the development of the asthmatic exacerbations. The increased production of IL-4 in conjunction with the decrease of IFN-γ may be mechanistically responsible, at least partially, for the heightening of the immunologic response leading to the asthmatic attack in children. Knowledge of these interactive mechanisms involving the iNKT cell and our understanding of its role in the exacerbation of

Scale-Invariant Rotating Black Holes in Quadratic Gravity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guido Cognola

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Black hole solutions in pure quadratic theories of gravity are interesting since they allow the formulation of a set of scale-invariant thermodynamics laws. Recently, we have proven that static scale-invariant black holes have a well-defined entropy, which characterizes equivalent classes of solutions. In this paper, we generalize these results and explore the thermodynamics of rotating black holes in pure quadratic gravity.

Mindsets and Human Nature: Promoting Change in the Middle East, the Schoolyard, the Racial Divide, and Willpower

Science.gov (United States)

Dweck, Carol S.

2012-01-01

Debates about human nature often revolve around what is built in. However, the hallmark of human nature is how much of a person's identity is not built in; rather, it is humans' great capacity to adapt, change, and grow. This nature versus nurture debate matters--not only to students of human nature--but to everyone. It matters whether people…

Humans and Deep Networks Largely Agree on Which Kinds of Variation Make Object Recognition Harder.

Science.gov (United States)

Kheradpisheh, Saeed R; Ghodrati, Masoud; Ganjtabesh, Mohammad; Masquelier, Timothée

2016-01-01

View-invariant object recognition is a challenging problem that has attracted much attention among the psychology, neuroscience, and computer vision communities. Humans are notoriously good at it, even if some variations are presumably more difficult to handle than others (e.g., 3D rotations). Humans are thought to solve the problem through hierarchical processing along the ventral stream, which progressively extracts more and more invariant visual features. This feed-forward architecture has inspired a new generation of bio-inspired computer vision systems called deep convolutional neural networks (DCNN), which are currently the best models for object recognition in natural images. Here, for the first time, we systematically compared human feed-forward vision and DCNNs at view-invariant object recognition task using the same set of images and controlling the kinds of transformation (position, scale, rotation in plane, and rotation in depth) as well as their magnitude, which we call "variation level." We used four object categories: car, ship, motorcycle, and animal. In total, 89 human subjects participated in 10 experiments in which they had to discriminate between two or four categories after rapid presentation with backward masking. We also tested two recent DCNNs (proposed respectively by Hinton's group and Zisserman's group) on the same tasks. We found that humans and DCNNs largely agreed on the relative difficulties of each kind of variation: rotation in depth is by far the hardest transformation to handle, followed by scale, then rotation in plane, and finally position (much easier). This suggests that DCNNs would be reasonable models of human feed-forward vision. In addition, our results show that the variation levels in rotation in depth and scale strongly modulate both humans' and DCNNs' recognition performances. We thus argue that these variations should be controlled in the image datasets used in vision research.

Humans and deep networks largely agree on which kinds of variation make object recognition harder

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saeed Reza Kheradpisheh

2016-08-01

Full Text Available View-invariant object recognition is a challenging problem that has attracted much attention among the psychology, neuroscience, and computer vision communities. Humans are notoriously good at it, even if some variations are presumably more difficult to handle than others (e.g. 3D rotations. Humans are thought to solve the problem through hierarchical processing along the ventral stream, which progressively extracts more and more invariant visual features. This feed-forward architecture has inspired a new generation of bio-inspired computer vision systems called deep convolutional neural networks (DCNN, which are currently the best models for object recognition in natural images. Here, for the first time, we systematically compared human feed-forward vision and DCNNs at view-invariant object recognition task using the same set of images and controlling the kinds of transformation (position, scale, rotation in plane, and rotation in depth as well as their magnitude, which we call variation level. We used four object categories: car, ship, motorcycle, and animal. In total, 89 human subjects participated in 10 experiments in which they had to discriminate between two or four categories after rapid presentation with backward masking. We also tested two recent DCNNs (proposed respectively by Hinton's group and Zisserman's group on the same tasks. We found that humans and DCNNs largely agreed on the relative difficulties of each kind of variation: rotation in depth is by far the hardest transformation to handle, followed by scale, then rotation in plane, and finally position (much easier. This suggests that DCNNs would be reasonable models of human feed-forward vision. In addition, our results show that the variation levels in rotation in depth and scale strongly modulate both humans' and DCNNs' recognition performances. We thus argue that these variations should be controlled in the image datasets used in vision research.

On the gauge invariant and topological nature of the localization determining the Quantum Hall Effect plateaus

CERN Document Server

Cabo-Montes de Oca, Alejandro

2002-01-01

It is shown how the electromagnetic response of 2DEG under Quantum Hall Effect regime, characterized by the Chern-Simons topological action, transforms the sample impurities and defects in charge-reservoirs that stabilize the Hall conductivity plateaus. The results determine the basic dynamical origin of the singular properties of localization under the occurrence of the Quantum Hall Effect obtained in the pioneering works of Laughlin and of Joynt and Prange, by means of a gauge invariance argument and a purely electronic analysis, respectively. The common intuitive picture of electrons moving along the equipotential lines gets an analytical realization through the Chern-Simons current and charge densities.

Invariant structures in gauge theories and confinement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prokhorov, L.V.; Shabanov, S.V.

1991-01-01

The problem of finding all gauge invariants is considered in connection with the problem of confinement. Polylocal gauge tensors are introduced and studied. It is shown (both in physical and pure geometrical approaches) that the path-ordered exponent is the only fundamental bilocal gauge tensor, which means that any irreducible polylocal gauge tensor is built of P-exponents and local tensors (matter fields). The simplest invariant structures in electrodynamics, chromodynamics and a theory with the gauge group SU(2) are considered separately. 23 refs.; 2 figs

Deviations from scale invariance near a general conformal background

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Babichenko, A.; Elitzur, S.

1994-01-01

Deviations from scale invariance resulting from small perturbations of a general two-dimensional conformal field theory are studied. They are expressed in terms of β-functions for the renormalization of general couplings under a local change of scale. The β-functions for a homogeneous background are given perturbatively in terms of the data of the original conformal theory without any specific assumptions on its nature. The renormalization of couplings to primary operators and to first descendents is considered as well as that of couplings of a dilatonic type which involve explicit dependence on world sheet curvature. The first descendent couplings are interpreted as gauge degrees of freedom in the string field action and the corresponding gauge transformation is spelled out. (orig.)

Communication: Fitting potential energy surfaces with fundamental invariant neural network

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shao, Kejie; Chen, Jun; Zhao, Zhiqiang; Zhang, Dong H., E-mail: zhangdh@dicp.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics and Center for Theoretical Computational Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, People’s Republic of China and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People’s Republic of China. (China)

2016-08-21

A more flexible neural network (NN) method using the fundamental invariants (FIs) as the input vector is proposed in the construction of potential energy surfaces for molecular systems involving identical atoms. Mathematically, FIs finitely generate the permutation invariant polynomial (PIP) ring. In combination with NN, fundamental invariant neural network (FI-NN) can approximate any function to arbitrary accuracy. Because FI-NN minimizes the size of input permutation invariant polynomials, it can efficiently reduce the evaluation time of potential energy, in particular for polyatomic systems. In this work, we provide the FIs for all possible molecular systems up to five atoms. Potential energy surfaces for OH{sub 3} and CH{sub 4} were constructed with FI-NN, with the accuracy confirmed by full-dimensional quantum dynamic scattering and bound state calculations.

Orientation Encoding and Viewpoint Invariance in Face Recognition: Inferring Neural Properties from Large-Scale Signals.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramírez, Fernando M

2018-05-01

Viewpoint-invariant face recognition is thought to be subserved by a distributed network of occipitotemporal face-selective areas that, except for the human anterior temporal lobe, have been shown to also contain face-orientation information. This review begins by highlighting the importance of bilateral symmetry for viewpoint-invariant recognition and face-orientation perception. Then, monkey electrophysiological evidence is surveyed describing key tuning properties of face-selective neurons-including neurons bimodally tuned to mirror-symmetric face-views-followed by studies combining functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and multivariate pattern analyses to probe the representation of face-orientation and identity information in humans. Altogether, neuroimaging studies suggest that face-identity is gradually disentangled from face-orientation information along the ventral visual processing stream. The evidence seems to diverge, however, regarding the prevalent form of tuning of neural populations in human face-selective areas. In this context, caveats possibly leading to erroneous inferences regarding mirror-symmetric coding are exposed, including the need to distinguish angular from Euclidean distances when interpreting multivariate pattern analyses. On this basis, this review argues that evidence from the fusiform face area is best explained by a view-sensitive code reflecting head angular disparity, consistent with a role of this area in face-orientation perception. Finally, the importance is stressed of explicit models relating neural properties to large-scale signals.

Art and human nature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mirta Toledo

2008-06-01

Full Text Available This article presents a visual artist’s point of view about art. This view confronts the Eurocentric traditional cannon with some ignored, but valuable traditions, thus proposing a contra-canon. These ideas are examined on the light of a variety of sources, including prehistoric, pre-Columbian, and 20th century art expressions, in a variety of media, from sculpture to literature. Recent art expressions are characterized by their incorporation of minority values and perspectives that challenge “universal” views. Using samples of works from Latino and African American artists, the author shows that, even today, art is a means to know the world and its people, to exhibit personal life, to create personal symbolism, and to show one’s identity or the search for it. Like the human nature it represents, art has multiple faces.

Improved medical image fusion based on cascaded PCA and shift invariant wavelet transforms.

Science.gov (United States)

Reena Benjamin, J; Jayasree, T

2018-02-01

In the medical field, radiologists need more informative and high-quality medical images to diagnose diseases. Image fusion plays a vital role in the field of biomedical image analysis. It aims to integrate the complementary information from multimodal images, producing a new composite image which is expected to be more informative for visual perception than any of the individual input images. The main objective of this paper is to improve the information, to preserve the edges and to enhance the quality of the fused image using cascaded principal component analysis (PCA) and shift invariant wavelet transforms. A novel image fusion technique based on cascaded PCA and shift invariant wavelet transforms is proposed in this paper. PCA in spatial domain extracts relevant information from the large dataset based on eigenvalue decomposition, and the wavelet transform operating in the complex domain with shift invariant properties brings out more directional and phase details of the image. The significance of maximum fusion rule applied in dual-tree complex wavelet transform domain enhances the average information and morphological details. The input images of the human brain of two different modalities (MRI and CT) are collected from whole brain atlas data distributed by Harvard University. Both MRI and CT images are fused using cascaded PCA and shift invariant wavelet transform method. The proposed method is evaluated based on three main key factors, namely structure preservation, edge preservation, contrast preservation. The experimental results and comparison with other existing fusion methods show the superior performance of the proposed image fusion framework in terms of visual and quantitative evaluations. In this paper, a complex wavelet-based image fusion has been discussed. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method enhances the directional features as well as fine edge details. Also, it reduces the redundant details, artifacts, distortions.

Gauge fixing, BRS invariance and Ward identities for randomly stirred flows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berera, Arjun; Hochberg, David

2009-01-01

The Galilean invariance of the Navier-Stokes equation is shown to be akin to a global gauge symmetry familiar from quantum field theory. This symmetry leads to a multiple counting of infinitely many inertial reference frames in the path integral approach to randomly stirred fluids. This problem is solved by fixing the gauge, i.e., singling out one reference frame. The gauge fixed theory has an underlying Becchi-Rouet-Stora (BRS) symmetry which leads to the Ward identity relating the exact inverse response and vertex functions. This identification of Galilean invariance as a gauge symmetry is explored in detail, for different gauge choices and by performing a rigorous examination of a discretized version of the theory. The Navier-Stokes equation is also invariant under arbitrary rectilinear frame accelerations, known as extended Galilean invariance (EGI). We gauge fix this extended symmetry and derive the generalized Ward identity that follows from the BRS invariance of the gauge-fixed theory. This new Ward identity reduces to the standard one in the limit of zero acceleration. This gauge-fixing approach unambiguously shows that Galilean invariance and EGI constrain only the zero mode of the vertex but none of the higher wavenumber modes.

Gauge fixing, BRS invariance and Ward identities for randomly stirred flows

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berera, Arjun [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ (United Kingdom)], E-mail: ab@ph.ed.ac.uk; Hochberg, David [Centro de Astrobiologia (CSIC-INTA), Ctra. Ajalvir Km. 4, 28850 Torrejon de Ardoz, Madrid (Spain)], E-mail: hochbergd@inta.es

2009-06-21

The Galilean invariance of the Navier-Stokes equation is shown to be akin to a global gauge symmetry familiar from quantum field theory. This symmetry leads to a multiple counting of infinitely many inertial reference frames in the path integral approach to randomly stirred fluids. This problem is solved by fixing the gauge, i.e., singling out one reference frame. The gauge fixed theory has an underlying Becchi-Rouet-Stora (BRS) symmetry which leads to the Ward identity relating the exact inverse response and vertex functions. This identification of Galilean invariance as a gauge symmetry is explored in detail, for different gauge choices and by performing a rigorous examination of a discretized version of the theory. The Navier-Stokes equation is also invariant under arbitrary rectilinear frame accelerations, known as extended Galilean invariance (EGI). We gauge fix this extended symmetry and derive the generalized Ward identity that follows from the BRS invariance of the gauge-fixed theory. This new Ward identity reduces to the standard one in the limit of zero acceleration. This gauge-fixing approach unambiguously shows that Galilean invariance and EGI constrain only the zero mode of the vertex but none of the higher wavenumber modes.

The relativistic invariant and the Galilean mass of bodies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kapuscik, E.

1992-02-01

We generalize the concept of the Galilean mass to the relativistic case. In the case of inequality of Galilean and inertial masses we calculate the relativistic invariant being constant along the trajectory of the moving body. It enables us to define an invariant measure of inertia of bodies. 4 refs. (author)

Testing measurement invariance of the Learning Programme Management and Evaluation scale across academic achievement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maelekanyo C. Mulaudzi

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Orientation: Measurement invariance is one of the most precarious aspects of the scale development process without which the interpretation of research findings on population subgroups may be ambiguous and even invalid. Besides tests for validity and reliability, measurement invariance represents the hallmark for psychometric compliance of a new measuring instrument and provides the basis for inference of research findings across a range of relevant population sub-groups. Research purpose: This study tested the measurement invariance of a Learning Programme Management and Evaluation (LPME scale across levels of academic achievement. Motivation for the study: It is important for any researcher involved in new scale development to ensure that the measurement instrument and its underlying constructs have proper structural alignment and that they both have the same level of meaning and significance across comparable heterogeneous groups. Research design, approach and method: A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional survey design was used, and data were obtained from 369 participants who were selected from three public sector organisations using a probabilistic simple random sampling technique. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences and Analysis of Moment Structures software (versions 21.0.0 were used to analyse the data. Main findings: The findings show that all the four invariance models tested have achieved acceptable goodness-of-fit indices. Furthermore, the findings show that the factorial structure of the LPME scale and the meaning of its underlying constructs are invariant across different levels of academic achievement for human resource development (HRD practitioners and learners or apprentices involved in occupational learning programmes. Practical implications: The findings of this study suggest practical implications for HRD scholars as they are enabled to make informed decisional balance comparisons involving educational

Gauge invariant fractional electromagnetic fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lazo, Matheus Jatkoske

2011-01-01

Fractional derivatives and integrations of non-integers orders was introduced more than three centuries ago but only recently gained more attention due to its application on nonlocal phenomenas. In this context, several formulations of fractional electromagnetic fields was proposed, but all these theories suffer from the absence of an effective fractional vector calculus, and in general are non-causal or spatially asymmetric. In order to deal with these difficulties, we propose a spatially symmetric and causal gauge invariant fractional electromagnetic field from a Lagrangian formulation. From our fractional Maxwell's fields arose a definition for the fractional gradient, divergent and curl operators. -- Highlights: → We propose a fractional Lagrangian formulation for fractional Maxwell's fields. → We obtain gauge invariant fractional electromagnetic fields. → Our generalized fractional Maxwell's field is spatially symmetrical. → We discuss the non-causality of the theory.

On the generally invariant Lagrangians for the metric field and other tensor fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novotny, J.

1978-01-01

The Krupka and Trautman method for the description of all generally invariant functions of the components of geometrical object fields is applied to the invariants of second degree of the metrical field and other tensor fields. The complete system of differential identities fulfilled by the invariants mentioned is found and it is proved that these invariants depend on the tensor quantities only. (author)

Differences in Gaussian diffusion tensor imaging and non-Gaussian diffusion kurtosis imaging model-based estimates of diffusion tensor invariants in the human brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Lanzafame, S; Giannelli, M; Garaci, F; Floris, R; Duggento, A; Guerrisi, M; Toschi, N

2016-05-01

An increasing number of studies have aimed to compare diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)-related parameters [e.g., mean diffusivity (MD), fractional anisotropy (FA), radial diffusivity (RD), and axial diffusivity (AD)] to complementary new indexes [e.g., mean kurtosis (MK)/radial kurtosis (RK)/axial kurtosis (AK)] derived through diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) in terms of their discriminative potential about tissue disease-related microstructural alterations. Given that the DTI and DKI models provide conceptually and quantitatively different estimates of the diffusion tensor, which can also depend on fitting routine, the aim of this study was to investigate model- and algorithm-dependent differences in MD/FA/RD/AD and anisotropy mode (MO) estimates in diffusion-weighted imaging of human brain white matter. The authors employed (a) data collected from 33 healthy subjects (20-59 yr, F: 15, M: 18) within the Human Connectome Project (HCP) on a customized 3 T scanner, and (b) data from 34 healthy subjects (26-61 yr, F: 5, M: 29) acquired on a clinical 3 T scanner. The DTI model was fitted to b-value =0 and b-value =1000 s/mm(2) data while the DKI model was fitted to data comprising b-value =0, 1000 and 3000/2500 s/mm(2) [for dataset (a)/(b), respectively] through nonlinear and weighted linear least squares algorithms. In addition to MK/RK/AK maps, MD/FA/MO/RD/AD maps were estimated from both models and both algorithms. Using tract-based spatial statistics, the authors tested the null hypothesis of zero difference between the two MD/FA/MO/RD/AD estimates in brain white matter for both datasets and both algorithms. DKI-derived MD/FA/RD/AD and MO estimates were significantly higher and lower, respectively, than corresponding DTI-derived estimates. All voxelwise differences extended over most of the white matter skeleton. Fractional differences between the two estimates [(DKI - DTI)/DTI] of most invariants were seen to vary with the invariant value itself as well as with MK

Phylogenetic mixtures and linear invariants for equal input models.

Science.gov (United States)

Casanellas, Marta; Steel, Mike

2017-04-01

The reconstruction of phylogenetic trees from molecular sequence data relies on modelling site substitutions by a Markov process, or a mixture of such processes. In general, allowing mixed processes can result in different tree topologies becoming indistinguishable from the data, even for infinitely long sequences. However, when the underlying Markov process supports linear phylogenetic invariants, then provided these are sufficiently informative, the identifiability of the tree topology can be restored. In this paper, we investigate a class of processes that support linear invariants once the stationary distribution is fixed, the 'equal input model'. This model generalizes the 'Felsenstein 1981' model (and thereby the Jukes-Cantor model) from four states to an arbitrary number of states (finite or infinite), and it can also be described by a 'random cluster' process. We describe the structure and dimension of the vector spaces of phylogenetic mixtures and of linear invariants for any fixed phylogenetic tree (and for all trees-the so called 'model invariants'), on any number n of leaves. We also provide a precise description of the space of mixtures and linear invariants for the special case of [Formula: see text] leaves. By combining techniques from discrete random processes and (multi-) linear algebra, our results build on a classic result that was first established by James Lake (Mol Biol Evol 4:167-191, 1987).

Quantized Hall conductance as a topological invariant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niu, Q.; Thouless, Ds.J.; Wu, Y.S.

1984-10-01

Whenever the Fermi level lies in a gap (or mobility gap) the bulk Hall conductance can be expressed in a topologically invariant form showing the quantization explicitly. The new formulation generalizes the earlier result by TKNN to the situation where many body interaction and substrate disorder are also present. When applying to the fractional quantized Hall effect we draw the conclusion that there must be a symmetry breaking in the many body ground state. The possibility of writing the fractionally quantized Hall conductance as a topological invariant is also carefully discussed. 19 references

Searching the laws of thermodynamics in the Lorentz-invariant thermal energy propagation equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szőllősi, Tibor; Márkus, Ferenc

2015-01-01

Highlights: • We study the laws of thermodynamics in a Lorentz-invariant Lagrangian model. • We calculate the canonical momenta and tensor. • We give the correspondents of the laws of thermodynamics in the model. • The developed theory is considered to be coherent with the laws of thermodynamics. - Abstract: In earlier works it has been shown that the Lorentz-invariant description of thermal energy transfer can be deduced from a Lagrangian description, by which the definition of a dynamic temperature is involved at the same time. It is also proved that this formulation includes the classical Fourier heat propagation as a natural limit. However, the relation of the elaborated theory to the basic laws of thermodynamics remained open. This connection is studied in details in the present paper. It is posted that though strictly speaking the model is meaningless in equilibrium and corresponds only to the non-equilibrium parts of the temperature, it respects the laws of thermodynamics and provides a way to transfer some form of them into the validity-area of the model

BRST invariant mixed string vertex for the bosonic string

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clarizia, A.; Pezzella, F.

1987-09-01

We construct a BRST invariant (N+M)-string vertex including both open and closed string states. When we saturate it with N open string and M closed string physical states it reproduces their corresponding scattering amplitude. As a particular case we obtain BRST invariant vertex for the open-closed string transition. (orig.)

Q-phonons, Q-invariants, and company

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brentano, P. von; Gade, A.; Pietralla, N.; Werner, V.

2002-01-01

The paper discusses the concept of Q-phonons and its connection to the concept of Q-invariants and the shape parameters of nuclei. It will also discuss some useful relations between Q-invariants and observables. These relations allow one to determine crucial nuclear observables such as the square of the quadrupole moment of the first 2+ state from lifetime data of the gamma- and ground band which may have applications, in future measurements with rare isotopes beams. These concepts are discussed for the Barium, Xenon and Cerium nuclei with mass numbers around A = 130, because some of these concepts were either introduced or at least heavily used in the discussion of the nuclear structure of these nuclei

Solitonic natural orbitals

Science.gov (United States)

Cioslowski, Jerzy

2018-04-01

The dependence of the natural amplitudes of the harmonium atom in its ground state on the confinement strength ω is thoroughly investigated. A combination of rigorous analysis and extensive, highly accurate numerical calculations reveals the presence of only one positive-valued natural amplitude ("the normal sign pattern") for all ω ≥1/2 . More importantly, it is shown that unusual, weakly occupied natural orbitals (NOs) corresponding to additional positive-valued natural amplitudes emerge upon sufficient weakening of the confinement. These solitonic NOs, whose shapes remain almost invariant as their radial positions drift toward infinity upon the critical values of ω being approached from below, exhibit strong radial localization. Their asymptotic properties are extracted from the numerical data and their relevance to calculations on fully Coulombic systems is discussed.

Lorentz invariance violation in modified gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brax, Philippe

2012-01-01

We consider an environmentally dependent violation of Lorentz invariance in scalar-tensor models of modified gravity where General Relativity is retrieved locally thanks to a screening mechanism. We find that fermions have a modified dispersion relation and would go faster than light in an anisotropic and space-dependent way along the scalar field lines of force. Phenomenologically, these models are tightly restricted by the amount of Cerenkov radiation emitted by the superluminal particles, a constraint which is only satisfied by chameleons. Measuring the speed of neutrinos emitted radially from the surface of the earth and observed on the other side of the earth would probe the scalar field profile of modified gravity models in dense environments. We argue that the test of the equivalence principle provided by the Lunar ranging experiment implies that a deviation from the speed of light, for natural values of the coupling scale between the scalar field and fermions, would be below detectable levels, unless gravity is modified by camouflaged chameleons where the field normalisation is environmentally dependent.

Lorentz invariance violation in modified gravity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brax, Philippe, E-mail: philippe.brax@cea.fr [Institut de Physique Theorique, CEA, IPhT, CNRS, URA 2306, F-91191Gif/Yvette Cedex (France)

2012-06-06

We consider an environmentally dependent violation of Lorentz invariance in scalar-tensor models of modified gravity where General Relativity is retrieved locally thanks to a screening mechanism. We find that fermions have a modified dispersion relation and would go faster than light in an anisotropic and space-dependent way along the scalar field lines of force. Phenomenologically, these models are tightly restricted by the amount of Cerenkov radiation emitted by the superluminal particles, a constraint which is only satisfied by chameleons. Measuring the speed of neutrinos emitted radially from the surface of the earth and observed on the other side of the earth would probe the scalar field profile of modified gravity models in dense environments. We argue that the test of the equivalence principle provided by the Lunar ranging experiment implies that a deviation from the speed of light, for natural values of the coupling scale between the scalar field and fermions, would be below detectable levels, unless gravity is modified by camouflaged chameleons where the field normalisation is environmentally dependent.

Natural hazards, disasters and human kind: Whither ecosystem management?

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Mascarenhas, A.; Mudholkar, A.V.

in the way of powerful natural forces. Abandoning vulnerable geomorphic features, managed retreat, or safer setback with intervening forested landforms are feasible long-term options. The incalculable human misery that ultimately follows ia an ideal...

The component structure of conformal supergravity invariants in six dimensions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Butter, Daniel [Nikhef Theory Group,Science Park 105, 1098 XG Amsterdam (Netherlands); George and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy,Texas A& M University,College Station, TX 77843 (United States); Novak, Joseph [Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik, Albert-Einstein-Institut, Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Golm (Germany); Tartaglino-Mazzucchelli, Gabriele [Instituut voor Theoretische Fysica, KU Leuven,Celestijnenlaan 200D, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium)

2017-05-24

In the recent paper https://arxiv.org/abs/1606.02921, the two invariant actions for 6D N=(1,0) conformal supergravity were constructed in superspace, corresponding to the supersymmetrization of C{sup 3} and C◻C. In this paper, we provide the translation from superspace to the component formulation of superconformal tensor calculus, and we give the full component actions of these two invariants. As a second application, we build the component form for the supersymmetric F◻F action coupled to conformal supergravity. Exploiting the fact that the N=(2,0) Weyl multiplet has a consistent truncation to N=(1,0), we then verify that there is indeed only a single N=(2,0) conformal supergravity invariant and reconstruct most of its bosonic terms by uplifting a certain linear combination of N=(1,0) invariants.

Human natural killer cell development in secondary lymphoid tissues

Science.gov (United States)

Freud, Aharon G.; Yu, Jianhua; Caligiuri, Michael A.

2014-01-01

For nearly a decade it has been appreciated that critical steps in human natural killer (NK) cell development likely occur outside of the bone marrow and potentially necessitate distinct microenvironments within extramedullary tissues. The latter include the liver and gravid uterus as well as secondary lymphoid tissues such as tonsils and lymph nodes. For as yet unknown reasons these tissues are naturally enriched with NK cell developmental intermediates (NKDI) that span a maturation continuum starting from an oligopotent CD34+CD45RA+ hematopoietic precursor cell to a cytolytic mature NK cell. Indeed despite the detection of NKDI within the aforementioned tissues, relatively little is known about how, why, and when these tissues may be most suited to support NK cell maturation and how this process fits in with other components of the human immune system. With the discovery of other innate lymphoid subsets whose immunophenotypes overlap with those of NKDI, there is also need to revisit and potentially re-characterize the basic immunophenotypes of the stages of the human NK cell developmental pathway in vivo. In this review, we provide an overview of human NK cell development in secondary lymphoid tissues and discuss the many questions that remain to be answered in this exciting field. PMID:24661538

Historical Views of Invariance: Evidence from the Measurement Theories of Thorndike, Thurstone, and Rasch.

Science.gov (United States)

Engelhard, George, Jr.

1992-01-01

A historical perspective is provided of the concept of invariance in measurement theory, describing sample-invariant item calibration and item-invariant measurement of individuals. Invariance as a key measurement concept is illustrated through the measurement theories of E. L. Thorndike, L. L. Thurstone, and G. Rasch. (SLD)

Electric dipole moments with and beyond flavor invariants

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Christopher; Touati, Selim

2017-11-01

In this paper, the flavor structure of quark and lepton electric dipole moments in the SM and beyond is investigated using tools inspired from Minimal Flavor Violation. While Jarlskog-like flavor invariants are adequate for estimating CP-violation from closed fermion loops, non-invariant structures arise from rainbow-like processes. Our goal is to systematically construct these latter flavor structures in the quark and lepton sectors, assuming different mechanisms for generating neutrino masses. Numerically, they are found typically much larger, and not necessarily correlated with, Jarlskog-like invariants. Finally, the formalism is adapted to deal with a third class of flavor structures, sensitive to the flavored U (1) phases, and used to study the impact of the strong CP-violating interaction and the interplay between the neutrino Majorana phases and possible baryon and/or lepton number violating interactions.

Electric dipole moments with and beyond flavor invariants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher Smith

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the flavor structure of quark and lepton electric dipole moments in the SM and beyond is investigated using tools inspired from Minimal Flavor Violation. While Jarlskog-like flavor invariants are adequate for estimating CP-violation from closed fermion loops, non-invariant structures arise from rainbow-like processes. Our goal is to systematically construct these latter flavor structures in the quark and lepton sectors, assuming different mechanisms for generating neutrino masses. Numerically, they are found typically much larger, and not necessarily correlated with, Jarlskog-like invariants. Finally, the formalism is adapted to deal with a third class of flavor structures, sensitive to the flavored U(1 phases, and used to study the impact of the strong CP-violating interaction and the interplay between the neutrino Majorana phases and possible baryon and/or lepton number violating interactions.

A test of conformal invariance: Correlation functions on a disk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badke, R.; Rittenberg, V.; Ruegg, H.

1985-06-01

Using conformal invariance one can derive the correlation functions of a disk from those in the half-plane. The correlation function in the half-plane is determined by the 'small' conformal invariance up to an unknown function of one variable. By measuring through the Monte Carlo method the correlation function for two different configurations, the unknown function can be eliminated and one obtains a test of conformal invariance. It is shown that the Ising and the three state Potts model pass the test for very small lattices. (orig.)

Macdonald operators and homological invariants of the colored Hopf link

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Awata, Hidetoshi; Kanno, Hiroaki

2011-01-01

Using a power sum (boson) realization for the Macdonald operators, we investigate the Gukov, Iqbal, Kozcaz and Vafa (GIKV) proposal for the homological invariants of the colored Hopf link, which include Khovanov-Rozansky homology as a special case. We prove the polynomiality of the invariants obtained by GIKV's proposal for arbitrary representations. We derive a closed formula of the invariants of the colored Hopf link for antisymmetric representations. We argue that a little amendment of GIKV's proposal is required to make all the coefficients of the polynomial non-negative integers. (paper)

On a gauge invariant subtraction scheme for massive quantum electrodynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdalla, E.; Gomes, M.; Koeberle, R.

A momentum-space subtraction scheme for massive quantum electrodynamics is proposed which respects gauge invariance, in contrast to ordinary normal product techniques. As a consequence the dependence of Green functions on the ghost mass becomes very simple and formally gauge invariant normal products of degree up to four, when subtracted according to the proposed scheme, are automatically gauge invariant. As an aplication we discuss the proof of the Adler-Bardeen theorem. Zero mass limits can be taken for Green function after the integration over intermediate states has been carried out [pt

Modular invariants and fusion rule automorphisms from Galois theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuchs, J.; Gato-Rivera, B.; Schellekens, B.; Nationaal Inst. voor Kernfysica en Hoge-Energiefysica; Schweigert, C.; Nationaal Inst. voor Kernfysica en Hoge-Energiefysica

1994-05-01

We show that Galois theory of cyclotomic number fields provides a powerful tool to construct systematically integer-valued matrices commuting with the modular matrix S, as well as automorphisms of the fusion rules. Both of these prescriptions allow the construction of modular invariants and offer new insight in the structure of known exceptional invariants. (orig.)

Methods for Assessing Item, Step, and Threshold Invariance in Polytomous Items Following the Partial Credit Model

Science.gov (United States)

Penfield, Randall D.; Myers, Nicholas D.; Wolfe, Edward W.

2008-01-01

Measurement invariance in the partial credit model (PCM) can be conceptualized in several different but compatible ways. In this article the authors distinguish between three forms of measurement invariance in the PCM: step invariance, item invariance, and threshold invariance. Approaches for modeling these three forms of invariance are proposed,…

The Loneliness Questionnaire: Establishing Measurement Invariance Across Ethnic Groups.

Science.gov (United States)

Ritchwood, Tiarney D; Ebesutani, Chad K; Chin, Eu Gene; Young, John

2017-09-01

A state of loneliness describes an individual's perception of having dissatisfying social connections to others. Though it is notable across the life span, it may have particularly deleterious effects in childhood and adolescence, leading to increased risk of emotional impairment. The current study evaluates a widely used test of loneliness, the Loneliness Questionnaire, for measurement invariance across ethnic groups in a large, representative sample of youth in the 2nd to 12th grades ( N = 12,344; 41% African American) in Mississippi. Analyses were conducted using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis following a published, sequential method to examine invariance in form, factor loadings, and item intercepts. Overall, our results indicated that the instrument was invariant across ethnicities, suggesting that youth with equivalent manifest scores can be discerned as having comparable levels of latent loneliness. The loneliness scores also corresponded significantly with depression and anxiety scores for most subsamples, with one exception. These findings are discussed in the context of previous results comparing levels of loneliness across ethnicities. Additionally, the broader context of the need to expand invariance studies in instrumentation work is highlighted.

Where humans meet machines innovative solutions for knotty natural-language problems

CERN Document Server

Markowitz, Judith

2013-01-01

Where Humans Meet Machines: Innovative Solutions for Knotty Natural-Language Problems brings humans and machines closer together by showing how linguistic complexities that confound the speech systems of today can be handled effectively by sophisticated natural-language technology. Some of the most vexing natural-language problems that are addressed in this book entail   recognizing and processing idiomatic expressions, understanding metaphors, matching an anaphor correctly with its antecedent, performing word-sense disambiguation, and handling out-of-vocabulary words and phrases. This fourteen-chapter anthology consists of contributions from industry scientists and from academicians working at major universities in North America and Europe. They include researchers who have played a central role in DARPA-funded programs and developers who craft real-world solutions for corporations. These contributing authors analyze the role of natural language technology in the global marketplace; they explore the need f...

Projection Operators and Moment Invariants to Image Blurring

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Flusser, Jan; Suk, Tomáš; Boldyš, Jiří; Zitová, Barbara

2015-01-01

Roč. 37, č. 4 (2015), s. 786-802 ISSN 0162-8828 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-29225S; GA ČR GAP103/11/1552 Institutional support: RVO:67985556 Keywords : Blurred image * N-fold rotation symmetry * projection operators * image moments * moment invariants * blur invariants * object recognition Subject RIV: JD - Computer Applications, Robotics Impact factor: 6.077, year: 2015 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2014/ZOI/flusser-0434521.pdf

Estimating Turaev-Viro three-manifold invariants is universal for quantum computation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alagic, Gorjan; Reichardt, Ben W.; Jordan, Stephen P.; Koenig, Robert

2010-01-01

The Turaev-Viro invariants are scalar topological invariants of compact, orientable 3-manifolds. We give a quantum algorithm for additively approximating Turaev-Viro invariants of a manifold presented by a Heegaard splitting. The algorithm is motivated by the relationship between topological quantum computers and (2+1)-dimensional topological quantum field theories. Its accuracy is shown to be nontrivial, as the same algorithm, after efficient classical preprocessing, can solve any problem efficiently decidable by a quantum computer. Thus approximating certain Turaev-Viro invariants of manifolds presented by Heegaard splittings is a universal problem for quantum computation. This establishes a relation between the task of distinguishing nonhomeomorphic 3-manifolds and the power of a general quantum computer.

Differentiation of IL-17-Producing Invariant Natural Killer T Cells Requires Expression of the Transcription Factor c-Maf

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jhang-Sian Yu

2017-10-01

Full Text Available c-Maf belongs to the large Maf family of transcription factors and plays a key role in the regulation of cytokine production and differentiation of TH2, TH17, TFH, and Tr1 cells. Invariant natural killer T (iNKT cells can rapidly produce large quantity of TH-related cytokines such as IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-17A upon stimulation by glycolipid antigens, such as α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer. However, the role of c-Maf in iNKT cells and iNKT cells-mediated diseases remains poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrate that α-GalCer-stimulated iNKT cells express c-Maf transcript and protein. By using c-Maf-deficient fetal liver cell-reconstituted mice, we further show that c-Maf-deficient iNKT cells produce less IL-17A than their wild-type counterparts after α-GalCer stimulation. While c-Maf deficiency does not affect the development and activation of iNKT cells, c-Maf is essential for the induction of IL-17-producing iNKT (iNKT17 cells by IL-6, TGF-β, and IL-1β, and the optimal expression of RORγt. Accordingly, c-Maf-deficient iNKT17 cells lose the ability to recruit neutrophils into the lungs. Taken together, c-Maf is a positive regulator for the expression of IL-17A and RORγt in iNKT17 cells. It is a potential therapeutic target in iNKT17 cell-mediated inflammatory disease.

Unravelling the escape dynamics and the nature of the normally hyperbolic invariant manifolds in tidally limited star clusters

Science.gov (United States)

Zotos, Euaggelos E.; Jung, Christof

2017-02-01

The escape mechanism of orbits in a star cluster rotating around its parent galaxy in a circular orbit is investigated. A three degrees of freedom model is used for describing the dynamical properties of the Hamiltonian system. The gravitational field of the star cluster is represented by a smooth and spherically symmetric Plummer potential. We distinguish between ordered and chaotic orbits as well as between trapped and escaping orbits, considering only unbounded motion for several energy levels. The Smaller ALignment Index (SALI) method is used for determining the regular or chaotic nature of the orbits. The basins of escape are located and they are also correlated with the corresponding escape time of the orbits. Areas of bounded regular or chaotic motion and basins of escape were found to coexist in the (x, z) plane. The properties of the normally hyperbolic invariant manifolds (NHIMs), located in the vicinity of the index-1 Lagrange points L1 and L2, are also explored. These manifolds are of paramount importance as they control the flow of stars over the saddle points, while they also trigger the formation of tidal tails observed in star clusters. Bifurcation diagrams of the Lyapunov periodic orbits as well as restrictions of the Poincaré map to the NHIMs are deployed for elucidating the dynamics in the neighbourhood of the saddle points. The extended tidal tails, or tidal arms, formed by stars with low velocity which escape through the Lagrange points are monitored. The numerical results of this work are also compared with previous related work.

Critical role for CD1d-restricted invariant NKT cells in stimulating intrahepatic CD8 T-cell responses to liver antigen

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sprengers, Dave; Sillé, Fenna C. M.; Derkow, Katja; Besra, Gurdyal S.; Janssen, Harry L. A.; Schott, Eckart; Boes, Marianne

2008-01-01

V alpha14 invariant natural killer T cells (iNKT) are localized in peripheral tissues such as the liver rather than lymphoid tissues. Therefore, their role in modulating the stimulation of conventional, major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted T-cell responses has remained ambiguous. We

Telomeres and the natural lifespan limit in humans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Steenstrup, Troels; Kark, Jeremy D; Verhulst, Simon

2017-01-01

An ongoing debate in demography has focused on whether the human lifespan has a maximal natural limit. Taking a mechanistic perspective, and knowing that short telomeres are associated with diminished longevity, we examined whether telomere length dynamics during adult life could set a maximal...... natural lifespan limit. We define leukocyte telomere length of 5 kb as the 'telomeric brink', which denotes a high risk of imminent death. We show that a subset of adults may reach the telomeric brink within the current life expectancy and more so for a 100-year life expectancy. Thus, secular trends...

Entendue invariance in speckle fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Medina, F.F.; Garcia-Sucerquia, J.; Henao, R.; Trivi, M.

2000-04-01

Experimental evidence is shown that confirms the Entendue invariance in speckle fields. Because of this condition, the coherence patch of the speckle field can be significantly greater than the mean size of the speckles, as is shown by double exposure speckle interferometry. (author)

Neural networks of human nature and nurture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel S. Levine

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Neural network methods have facilitated the unification of several unfortunate splits in psychology, including nature versus nurture. We review the contributions of this methodology and then discuss tentative network theories of caring behavior, of uncaring behavior, and of how the frontal lobes are involved in the choices between them. The implications of our theory are optimistic about the prospects of society to encourage the human potential for caring.

Gauge invariant fractional electromagnetic fields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lazo, Matheus Jatkoske, E-mail: matheuslazo@furg.br [Instituto de Matematica, Estatistica e Fisica - FURG, Rio Grande, RS (Brazil)

2011-09-26

Fractional derivatives and integrations of non-integers orders was introduced more than three centuries ago but only recently gained more attention due to its application on nonlocal phenomenas. In this context, several formulations of fractional electromagnetic fields was proposed, but all these theories suffer from the absence of an effective fractional vector calculus, and in general are non-causal or spatially asymmetric. In order to deal with these difficulties, we propose a spatially symmetric and causal gauge invariant fractional electromagnetic field from a Lagrangian formulation. From our fractional Maxwell's fields arose a definition for the fractional gradient, divergent and curl operators. -- Highlights: → We propose a fractional Lagrangian formulation for fractional Maxwell's fields. → We obtain gauge invariant fractional electromagnetic fields. → Our generalized fractional Maxwell's field is spatially symmetrical. → We discuss the non-causality of the theory.

Invariance for Single Curved Manifold

KAUST Repository

Castro, Pedro Machado Manhaes de

2012-01-01

Recently, it has been shown that, for Lambert illumination model, solely scenes composed by developable objects with a very particular albedo distribution produce an (2D) image with isolines that are (almost) invariant to light direction change. In this work, we provide and investigate a more general framework, and we show that, in general, the requirement for such in variances is quite strong, and is related to the differential geometry of the objects. More precisely, it is proved that single curved manifolds, i.e., manifolds such that at each point there is at most one principal curvature direction, produce invariant is surfaces for a certain relevant family of energy functions. In the three-dimensional case, the associated energy function corresponds to the classical Lambert illumination model with albedo. This result is also extended for finite-dimensional scenes composed by single curved objects. © 2012 IEEE.

Invariance for Single Curved Manifold

KAUST Repository

Castro, Pedro Machado Manhaes de

2012-08-01

Recently, it has been shown that, for Lambert illumination model, solely scenes composed by developable objects with a very particular albedo distribution produce an (2D) image with isolines that are (almost) invariant to light direction change. In this work, we provide and investigate a more general framework, and we show that, in general, the requirement for such in variances is quite strong, and is related to the differential geometry of the objects. More precisely, it is proved that single curved manifolds, i.e., manifolds such that at each point there is at most one principal curvature direction, produce invariant is surfaces for a certain relevant family of energy functions. In the three-dimensional case, the associated energy function corresponds to the classical Lambert illumination model with albedo. This result is also extended for finite-dimensional scenes composed by single curved objects. © 2012 IEEE.

Can we adequately represent the spatial interplay between humans and nature?

Science.gov (United States)

One of the challenges remaining before ecosystem services assessments can become part of mainstream decision making is how to spatially represent the interplay of nature as a whole and humans. Nature’s ecosystems act as natural capital by producing things (i.e. stocks and ...

Diminutives facilitate word segmentation in natural speech: cross-linguistic evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Kempe, Vera; Brooks, Patricia J; Gillis, Steven; Samson, Graham

2007-06-01

Final-syllable invariance is characteristic of diminutives (e.g., doggie), which are a pervasive feature of the child-directed speech registers of many languages. Invariance in word endings has been shown to facilitate word segmentation (Kempe, Brooks, & Gillis, 2005) in an incidental-learning paradigm in which synthesized Dutch pseudonouns were used. To broaden the cross-linguistic evidence for this invariance effect and to increase its ecological validity, adult English speakers (n=276) were exposed to naturally spoken Dutch or Russian pseudonouns presented in sentence contexts. A forced choice test was given to assess target recognition, with foils comprising unfamiliar syllable combinations in Experiments 1 and 2 and syllable combinations straddling word boundaries in Experiment 3. A control group (n=210) received the recognition test with no prior exposure to targets. Recognition performance improved with increasing final-syllable rhyme invariance, with larger increases for the experimental group. This confirms that word ending invariance is a valid segmentation cue in artificial, as well as naturalistic, speech and that diminutives may aid segmentation in a number of languages.

Invariance Lie algebra and group of the non relativistic hydrogen atom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Decoster, Alain

1970-01-01

The first part of this work contains a general survey of the use of Lie groups and algebras in quantum mechanics, followed by an extensive description of tbe invariance algebra and invariance group of the non-relativistic hydrogen atom; the realization of this group discovered by FOCK is specially examined. The second part is a two-hundred items bibliography on invariance groups and algebras of classical and quantum-mechanical simple systems. (author) [fr

Construction of exact invariants of time-dependent linear nonholonomic dynamical systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu Jingli; Jimenez, Salvador; Tang Yifa; Vazquez, Luis

2008-01-01

In this work, we build exact dynamical invariants for time-dependent, linear, nonholonomic Hamiltonian systems in two dimensions. Our aim is to obtain an additional insight into the theoretical understanding of generalized Hamilton canonical equations. In particular, we investigate systems represented by a quadratic Hamiltonian subject to linear nonholonomic constraints. We use a Lie algebraic method on the systems to build the invariants. The role and scope of these invariants is pointed out

Construction of exact invariants of time-dependent linear nonholonomic dynamical systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fu Jingli [Institute of Mathematical Physics, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018 (China)], E-mail: sqfujingli@163.com; Jimenez, Salvador [Departamento de Matematica Aplicada TTII, E.T.S.I. Telecomunicacion, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Tang Yifa [State Key Laboratory of Scientific and Engineering Computing, ICMSEC, Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 2719, Beijing 100080 (China); Vazquez, Luis [Departamento de Matematica Aplicada Facultad de Informatica, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Centro de Astrobiologia (CSIC-INTA), Torrejon de Ardoz, 28850 Madrid (Spain)

2008-03-03

In this work, we build exact dynamical invariants for time-dependent, linear, nonholonomic Hamiltonian systems in two dimensions. Our aim is to obtain an additional insight into the theoretical understanding of generalized Hamilton canonical equations. In particular, we investigate systems represented by a quadratic Hamiltonian subject to linear nonholonomic constraints. We use a Lie algebraic method on the systems to build the invariants. The role and scope of these invariants is pointed out.

Limits to human enhancement: nature, disease, therapy or betterment?

Science.gov (United States)

Hofmann, Bjørn

2017-10-10

New technologies facilitate the enhancement of a wide range of human dispositions, capacities, or abilities. While it is argued that we need to set limits to human enhancement, it is unclear where we should find resources to set such limits. Traditional routes for setting limits, such as referring to nature, the therapy-enhancement distinction, and the health-disease distinction, turn out to have some shortcomings. However, upon closer scrutiny the concept of enhancement is based on vague conceptions of what is to be enhanced. Explaining why it is better to become older, stronger, and more intelligent presupposes a clear conception of goodness, which is seldom provided. In particular, the qualitative better is frequently confused with the quantitative more. We may therefore not need "external" measures for setting its limits - they are available in the concept of enhancement itself. While there may be shortcomings in traditional sources of limit setting to human enhancement, such as nature, therapy, and disease, such approaches may not be necessary. The specification-of-betterment problem inherent in the conception of human enhancement itself provides means to restrict its unwarranted proliferation. We only need to demand clear, sustainable, obtainable goals for enhancement that are based on evidence, and not on lofty speculations, hypes, analogies, or weak associations. Human enhancements that specify what will become better, and provide adequate evidence, are good and should be pursued. Others should not be accepted.

Evidence for several dipolar quasi-invariants in liquid crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Bonin, C. J.; González, C. E.; Segnorile, H. H.; Zamar, R. C.

2013-10-01

The quasi-equilibrium states of an observed quantum system involve as many constants of motion as the dimension of the operator basis which spans the blocks of all the degenerate eigenvalues of the Hamiltonian that drives the system dynamics, however, the possibility of observing such quasi-invariants in solid-like spin systems in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is not a strictly exact prediction. The aim of this work is to provide experimental evidence of several quasi-invariants, in the proton NMR of small spin clusters, like nematic liquid crystal molecules, in which the use of thermodynamic arguments is not justified. We explore the spin states prepared with the Jeener-Broekaert pulse sequence by analyzing the time-domain signals yielded by this sequence as a function of the preparation times, in a variety of dipolar networks, solids, and liquid crystals. We observe that the signals can be explained with two dipolar quasi-invariants only within a range of short preparation times, however at longer times liquid crystal signals show an echo-like behaviour whose description requires assuming more quasi-invariants. We study the multiple quantum coherence content of such signals on a basis orthogonal to the z-basis and see that such states involve a significant number of correlated spins. Therefore, we show that the NMR signals within the whole preparation time-scale can only be reconstructed by assuming the occurrence of multiple quasi-invariants which we experimentally isolate.

The Human - Nature Relationship i n t he Context o f Theo - Centric Environmental Ethics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)