Canonical wave packets in quantum cosmology

We discuss the construction of wave packets resulting from the solutions of a class of Wheeler-DeWitt equations in Robertson-Walker type cosmologies, for arbitrary curvature. We show that there always exists a ``canonical initial slope" for a given initial wave function, which optimizes some desirable properties of the resulting wave packet, most importantly good classical-quantum correspondence. This can be properly denoted as a canonical wave packet. We introduce a general method for finding these canonical initial slopes which is generalization of our earlier work.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figure

Viruses as co-factors for the initiation or exacerbation of lung fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) remains exactly that. The disease originates from an unknown cause, and little is known about the mechanisms of pathogenesis. While the disease is likely multi-factorial, evidence is accumulating to implicate viruses as co-factors (either as initiating or exacerbating agents) of fibrotic lung disease. This review summarizes the available clinical and experimental observations that form the basis for the hypothesis that viral infections may augment fibrotic responses. We review the data suggesting a link between hepatitis C virus, adenovirus, human cytomegalovirus and, in particular, the Epstein-Barr gammaherpesvirus, in IPF. In addition, we highlight the recent associations made between gammaherpesvirus infection and lung fibrosis in horses and discuss the various murine models that have been used to investigate the contribution of gammaherpesviruses to fibrotic progression. We review the work demonstrating that gammaherpesvirus infection of Th2-biased mice leads to multi-organ fibrosis and highlight studies showing that gammaherpesviral infections of mice either pre- or post-fibrotic challenge can augment the development of fibrosis. Finally, we discuss potential mechanisms whereby viral infections may amplify the development of fibrosis. While none of these studies prove causality, we believe the evidence suggests that viral infections should be considered as potential initiators or exacerbating agents in at least some cases of IPF and thereby justify further study

THE INTERSTELLAR DETECTION OF HSCN IN Sgr B2(N)

Author Institution: Department of Chemistry, Department of Astronomy, and Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721; Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden St., Cambridge, MA 02138, and School of Engineering \& Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 29 Oxford St., Cambridge, MA 02138HSCN (thiocyanic acid), an energetic isomer of the well-known species HNCS, has been detected toward Sgr B2(N) with the Arizona Radio Observatory 12m telescope. Eight rotational transitions in the K$_a$ = 0 ladder were observed in the 2mm and 3mm bands. Five consecutive transitions in the 3 mm band are unblended, but three in the 2 mm band are partially masked by lines of other molecules. The line width and radial velocity of HSCN match closely with those of the ground state isomer HNCS, HNCO, and HOCN. Although HSCN is calculated to lie over 3000 K higher in energy than HNCS, its column density of 1.3x10$^{13}$ cm$^{-2}$ in Sgr B2(N) is only three times lower than that of HNCS. By analogy with the isomeric pair HCN and HNC, these two sulfur-bearing isomers are plausibly formed from a common cation precursor