The Radiocarbon Chronology of the Neolithic and Copper Age of Northern Italy

Summary paper of the Radiocarbon chronology of the Neolithic and Chalcolithic sites of Northern Italy as available in the 1990

Super-Yang-Mills and M5-branes

We uplift 5-dimensional super-Yang-Mills theory to a 6-dimensional gauge theory with the help of a space-like constant vector $\eta^M$, whose norm determines the Yang-Mills coupling constant. After the localization of $\eta^M$ the 6D gauge theory acquires Lorentzian invariance as well as scale invariance. We discuss KK states, instantons and the flux quantization. The 6D theory admits extended solutions like 1/2 BPS `strings' and monopoles.Comment: 15 pages; minor changes, to appear in JHE

Sigma models with off-shell N=(4,4) supersymmetry and noncommuting complex structures

We describe the conditions for extra supersymmetry in N=(2,2) supersymmetric nonlinear sigma models written in terms of semichiral superfields. We find that some of these models have additional off-shell supersymmetry. The (4,4) supersymmetry introduces geometrical structures on the target-space which are conveniently described in terms of Yano f-structures and Magri-Morosi concomitants. On-shell, we relate the new structures to the known bi-hypercomplex structures.Comment: 20 pages; v2: significant corrections, clarifications, and reorganization; v3: discussion of supersymmetry vs twisted supersymmetry added, relevant signs corrected

Antarctic intermediate water circulation in the South Atlantic over the past 25,000years

Antarctic Intermediate Water is an essential limb of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation that redistributes heat and nutrients within the Atlantic Ocean. Existing reconstructions have yielded conflicting results on the history of Antarctic Intermediate Water penetration into the Atlantic across the most recent glacial termination. In this study we present leachate, foraminiferal, and detrital neodymium isotope data from three intermediate-depth cores collected from the southern Brazil margin in the South Atlantic covering the past 25kyr. These results reveal that strong chemical leaching following decarbonation does not extract past seawater neodymium composition in this location. The new foraminiferal records reveal no changes in seawater Nd isotopes during abrupt Northern Hemisphere cold events at these sites. We therefore conclude that there is no evidence for greater incursion of Antarctic Intermediate Water into the South Atlantic during either the Younger Dryas or Heinrich Stadial 1. We do, however, observe more radiogenic Nd isotope values in the intermediate-depth South Atlantic during the mid-Holocene. This radiogenic excursion coincides with evidence for a southward shift in the Southern Hemisphere westerlies that may have resulted in a greater entrainment of radiogenic Pacific-sourced water during intermediate water production in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean. Our intermediate-depth records show similar values to a deglacial foraminiferal Nd isotope record from the deep South Atlantic during the Younger Dryas but are clearly distinct during the Last Glacial Maximum and Heinrich Stadial 1, demonstrating that the South Atlantic remained chemically stratified during Heinrich Stadial 1.Natural Environment Research Council (Grant IDs: NE/K005235/1, NE/F006047/1), National Science Foundation (Grant ID: OCE -1335191), Rutherford Memorial Scholarship, DFG Research Center/Cluster of Excellence “The Ocean in the Earth System”, FAPESP (Grant ID: 2012/17517-3), CAPES (Grant IDs: 1976/2014, 564/2015

Heterotic Sigma Models with N=2 Space-Time Supersymmetry

We study the non-linear sigma model realization of a heterotic vacuum with N=2 space-time supersymmetry. We examine the requirements of (0,2) + (0,4) world-sheet supersymmetry and show that a geometric vacuum must be described by a principal two-torus bundle over a K3 manifold.Comment: 20 pages, uses xy-pic; v3: typos corrected, reference added, discussion of constraints on Hermitian form modifie

Factors associated with alcohol reduction in harmful and hazardous drinkers following alcohol brief intervention in Scotland: a qualitative enquiry

Background: Alcohol Brief Intervention (ABI) uses a motivational counselling approach to support individuals to reduce excessive alcohol consumption. There is growing evidence on ABI’s use within various health care settings, although how they work and which components enhance success is largely unknown. This paper reports on the qualitative part of a mixed methods study. It explores enablers and barriers associated with alcohol reduction following an ABI. It focuses on alcohol’s place within participants’ lives and their personal perspectives on reducing consumption. There are a number of randomised controlled trials in this field though few ABI studies have addressed the experiences of hazardous/harmful drinkers. This study examines factors associated with alcohol reduction in harmful/hazardous drinkers following ABI. Methods: This qualitative study was underpinned by a realist evaluation approach and involved semistructured interviews with ten harmful or hazardous alcohol drinkers. Participants (n = 10) were from the intervention arm of a randomised controlled trial (n = 124). All had received ABI, a 20 min motivational counselling interview, six months previously, and had reduced their alcohol consumption. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. Results: Participants described their views on alcohol, its’ place in their lives, their personal perspectives on reducing their consumption and future aspirations. Conclusions: The findings provide an insight into participants’ views on alcohol, ABI, and the barriers and enablers to change. Participants described a cost benefit analysis, with some conscious consideration of the advantages and disadvantages of reducing intake or abstaining from alcohol. Findings suggest that, whilst hospital admission can act as a catalyst, encouraging individuals to reflect on their alcohol consumption through ABI may consolidate this, turning this reflective moment into action. Sustainability may be enhanced by the presence of a ‘significant other’ who encourages and experiences benefit. In addition having a purpose or structure with activities linked to employment and/or social and leisure pursuits offers the potential to enhance and sustain reduced alcohol consumption. Trial registration: Trial registration number TRN NCT00982306 September 22nd 200

More on the Nambu-Poisson M5-brane Theory: Scaling limit, background independence and an all order solution to the Seiberg-Witten map

We continue our investigation on the Nambu-Poisson description of M5-brane in a large constant C-field background (NP M5-brane theory) constructed in Refs.[1, 2]. In this paper, the low energy limit where the NP M5-brane theory is applicable is clarified. The background independence of the NP M5-brane theory is made manifest using the variables in the BLG model of multiple M2-branes. An all order solution to the Seiberg-Witten map is also constructed.Comment: expanded explanations, minor corrections and typos correcte

D=7 / D=6 Heterotic Supergravity with Gauged R-Symmetry

We construct a family of chiral anomaly-free supergravity theories in D=6 starting from D=7 supergravity with a gauged noncompact R-symmetry, employing a Horava-Witten bulk-plus-boundary construction. The gauged noncompact R-symmetry yields a positive (de Sitter sign) D=6 scalar field potential. Classical anomaly inflow which is needed to cancel boundary-field loop anomalies requires careful consideration of the gravitational, gauge, mixed and local supersymmetry anomalies. Coupling of boundary hypermultiplets requires care with the Sp(1) gauge connection required to obtain quaternionic Kahler target manifolds in D=6. This class of gauged R-symmetry models may be of use as starting points for further compactifications to D=4 that take advantage of the positive scalar potential, such as those proposed in the scenario of supersymmetry in large extra dimensions.Comment: 43 pages, plain Latex; Clarification of discussion and references adde

Dp-branes, NS5-branes and U-duality from nonabelian (2,0) theory with Lie 3-algebra

We derive the super Yang-Mills action of Dp-branes on a torus T^{p-4} from the nonabelian (2,0) theory with Lie 3-algebra. Our realization is based on Lie 3-algebra with pairs of Lorentzian metric generators. The resultant theory then has negative norm modes, but it results in a unitary theory by setting VEV's of these modes. This procedure corresponds to the torus compactification, therefore by taking a transformation which is equivalent to T-duality, the Dp-brane action is obtained. We also study type IIA/IIB NS5-brane and Kaluza-Klein monopole systems by taking other VEV assignments. Such various compactifications can be realized in the nonabelian (2,0) theory, since both longitudinal and transverse directions can be compactified, which is different from the BLG theory. We finally discuss U-duality among these branes, and show that most of the moduli parameters in U-duality group are recovered. Especially in D5-brane case, the whole U-duality relation is properly reproduced.Comment: 1+26 page

Use of mixed methods designs in substance research: a methodological necessity in Nigeria

The utility of mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative) is becoming increasingly accepted in health sciences, but substance studies are yet to substantially benefit from such utilities. While there is a growing number of mixed methods alcohol articles concerning developed countries, developing nations are yet to embrace this method. In the Nigerian context, the importance of mixed methods research is yet to be acknowledged. This article therefore, draws on alcohol studies to argue that mixed methods designs will better equip scholars to understand, explore, describe and explain why alcohol consumption and its related problems are increasing in Nigeria. It argues that as motives for consuming alcohol in contemporary Nigeria are multiple, complex and evolving, mixed method approaches that provide multiple pathways for proffering solutions to problems should be embraced