Crystalline Confinement

We show that exotic phases arise in generalized lattice gauge theories known as quantum link models in which classical gauge fields are replaced by quantum operators. While these quantum models with discrete variables have a finite-dimensional Hilbert space per link, the continuous gauge symmetry is still exact. An efficient cluster algorithm is used to study these exotic phases. The $(2+1)$-d system is confining at zero temperature with a spontaneously broken translation symmetry. A crystalline phase exhibits confinement via multi-stranded strings between charge-anti-charge pairs. A phase transition between two distinct confined phases is weakly first order and has an emergent spontaneously broken approximate $SO(2)$ global symmetry. The low-energy physics is described by a $(2+1)$-d $\mathbb{R}P(1)$ effective field theory, perturbed by a dangerously irrelevant $SO(2)$ breaking operator, which prevents the interpretation of the emergent pseudo-Goldstone boson as a dual photon. This model is an ideal candidate to be implemented in quantum simulators to study phenomena that are not accessible using Monte Carlo simulations such as the real-time evolution of the confining string and the real-time dynamics of the pseudo-Goldstone boson.Comment: Proceedings of the 31st International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory - LATTICE 201

The (2+1)-d U(1) Quantum Link Model Masquerading as Deconfined Criticality

The $(2+1)$-d U(1) quantum link model is a gauge theory, amenable to quantum simulation, with a spontaneously broken SO(2) symmetry emerging at a quantum phase transition. Its low-energy physics is described by a $(2+1)$-d \RP(1) effective field theory, perturbed by a dangerously irrelevant SO(2) breaking operator, which prevents the interpretation of the emergent pseudo-Goldstone boson as a dual photon. At the quantum phase transition, the model mimics some features of deconfined quantum criticality, but remains linearly confining. Deconfinement only sets in at high temperature.Comment: 4.5 pages, 6 figure

Heliothis dispersal and migration

A few of the many species of Heliothis (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) are important crop pests in the Old and New Worlds. Among these, H.armigera, H.zea, H.virescens and H.punctigera are the best known. The former is a particularly destructive species of a wide range of crops cultivated in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, including several staple foods and important peasant farmer cash crops. As new cultivation techniques are introduced and more extensive areas of crops are grown, often on larger irrigation and Government development schemes, it appears that this pest is becoming increasingly important. There is a strong suspicion that H.armigera populations move locally between crops grown in sequence or intercropped and that probably more extensive migratory movement occurs, as has been demonstrated in the closely related species H. zea in North America. This has considerable implications for effective control of the pest on the crops of some of the least priviledged farmers of the Developing World and in some of the poorest countries. There are recorded instances of resistance to pesticides in the species. Clearly large scale movements could have an effect on dissemination of such resistance and affect the level of control exerted by local parasite and predator populations and hence the necessity for rapid control action to combat rapid population increases of the pest on both staple food and cash crops. The ability to forecast or warn of such incidents would assist in effective timing of control operations and maximise efficiency of any insecticidal input required. This bibliography consolidates much of the scattered literature on the migratory behaviour of Heliothis spp. and will help to identify gaps in the existing knowledge of this aspect of the ecology of the genus. It will hopefully assist in focussing attention on the necessity for work on H.armigera, which is of such great importance in Developing Countries. Work on migratory movement could lead to effective action both regionally and internationally to reduce possibilities of migration of damaging numbers of moths. It will certainly assist in increasing knowledge on the bionomics of one of the most damaging agricultural pest species in the Old World and be of benefit to some of the least advantaged farmers of the tropics

Avalanches and Dynamical Correlations in supercooled liquids

We identify the pattern of microscopic dynamical relaxation for a two dimensional glass forming liquid. On short timescales, bursts of irreversible particle motion, called cage jumps, aggregate into clusters. On larger time scales, clusters aggregate both spatially and temporally into avalanches. This propagation of mobility, or dynamic facilitation, takes place along the soft regions of the systems, which have been identified by computing isoconfigurational Debye-Waller maps. Our results characterize the way in which dynamical heterogeneity evolves in moderately supercooled liquids and reveal that it is astonishingly similar to the one found for dense glassy granular media.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Finite-Volume Energy Spectrum, Fractionalized Strings, and Low-Energy Effective Field Theory for the Quantum Dimer Model on the Square Lattice

We present detailed analytic calculations of finite-volume energy spectra, mean field theory, as well as a systematic low-energy effective field theory for the square lattice quantum dimer model. The analytic considerations explain why a string connecting two external static charges in the confining columnar phase fractionalizes into eight distinct strands with electric flux $\frac{1}{4}$. An emergent approximate spontaneously broken $SO(2)$ symmetry gives rise to a pseudo-Goldstone boson. Remarkably, this soft phonon-like excitation, which is massless at the Rokhsar-Kivelson (RK) point, exists far beyond this point. The Goldstone physics is captured by a systematic low-energy effective field theory. We determine its low-energy parameters by matching the analytic effective field theory with exact diagonalization results and Monte Carlo data. This confirms that the model exists in the columnar (and not in a plaquette or mixed) phase all the way to the RK point.Comment: 35 pages, 16 figure

FGB1 and WSC3 are in planta-induced beta-glucan-binding fungal lectins with different functions

In the root endophyte Serendipita indica, several lectin-like members of the expanded multigene family of WSC proteins are transcriptionally induced in planta and are potentially involved in beta-glucan remodeling at the fungal cell wall. Using biochemical and cytological approaches we show that one of these lectins, SiWSC3 with three WSC domains, is an integral fungal cell wall component that binds to long-chain beta 1-3-glucan but has no affinity for shorter beta 1-3- or beta 1-6-linked glucose oligomers. Comparative analysis with the previously identified beta-glucan-binding lectin SiFGB1 demonstrated that whereas SiWSC3 does not require beta 1-6-linked glucose for efficient binding to branched beta 1-3-glucan, SiFGB1 does. In contrast to SiFGB1, the multivalent SiWSC3 lectin can efficiently agglutinate fungal cells and is additionally induced during fungus-fungus confrontation, suggesting different functions for these two beta-glucan-binding lectins. Our results highlight the importance of the beta-glucan cell wall component in plant-fungus interactions and the potential of beta-glucan-binding lectins as specific detection tools for fungi in vivo

Asymptotic diophantine approximation:the multiplicative case

Let $\alpha$ and $\beta$ be irrational real numbers and 0<\F<1/30. We prove a precise estimate for the number of positive integers $q\leq Q$ that satisfy \|q\alpha\|\cdot\|q\beta\|<\F. If we choose \F as a function of $Q$ we get asymptotics as $Q$ gets large, provided \F Q grows quickly enough in terms of the (multiplicative) Diophantine type of $(\alpha,\beta)$, e.g., if $(\alpha,\beta)$ is a counterexample to Littlewood's conjecture then we only need that \F Q tends to infinity. Our result yields a new upper bound on sums of reciprocals of products of fractional parts, and sheds some light on a recent question of L\^{e} and Vaaler.Comment: To appear in Ramanujan Journa

Serious bacterial infections in patients with rheumatoid arthritis under anti‐TNF‐α therapy

Objective. With rising numbers of anti‐tumour necrosis factor α (TNF‐α) treatments for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Crohn's disease and other conditions, physicians unaware of potential pitfalls are increasingly likely to encounter associated severe infections. Our purpose was to assess the incidence and nature of severe infections in our RA patients under anti‐TNF‐α therapy. Methods. We reviewed patient charts and records of the Infectious Disease Unit for serious infections in patients with RA in the 2 yr preceding anti‐TNF‐α therapy and during therapy. Results. Serious infections affected 18.3% of patients treated with infliximab or etanercept. The incidence was 0.181 per anti‐TNF‐α treatment year vs 0.008 in the 2 yr preceding anti‐TNF‐α therapy. In several cases, only a few signs or symptoms indicated the severity of developing infections, including sepsis. Conclusions. A high level of suspicion of infection is necessary in patients under anti‐TNF‐α therapy. We suggest additional strategies for the prevention, rapid identification and pre‐emptive therapy of such infection