Relating Green's Functions in Axial and Lorentz Gauges using Finite Field-Dependent BRS Transformations

We use finite field-dependent BRS transformations (FFBRS) to connect the Green functions in a set of two otherwise unrelated gauge choices. We choose the Lorentz and the axial gauges as examples. We show how the Green functions in axial gauge can be written as a series in terms of those in Lorentz gauges. Our method also applies to operator Green's functions. We show that this process involves another set of related FFBRS transfomations that is derivable from infinitesimal FBRS. We suggest possible applications.Comment: 20 pages, LaTex, Section 4 expanded, typos corrected; last 2 references modified; (this) revised version to appear in J. Math. Phy

Microscopic characterization of some medicinal plants and elemental analysis of Triphala (three fruits) with anticarcinogenic properties

Medicinal plants are the local heritage and assets to a country that are to be collected, preserved, characterized, scientifically analyzed and utilized in treating particular ailments. Several important medicinal plants from different parts of the world are yet to be indexed, characterized and tested for their medicinal values. Adulteration (mixing cheaper materials with the original herb) is a prime concern in herbal medicine for which proper scientific characterization of specific plant parts of each is essential. In this study characterizationof some medicinally important plant species (Alstonia scholaris,Ephedra sinica,Zingiber officinale,Phyllanthus emblica,Terminalia bellirica, T. chebula) were done. Anatomical studies of transverse sections of the leaves of Adhatoda vasica Nees, stems ofAlstonia scholaris L. R. Br. and Ephedra sinica Stapf.and fine sections of rhizomes from Zingiber officinale Rosc. were carried out.The characteristic presence of typical vascular bundlesfollowing double staining methods and distribution of specific types of tissues helped us to identify and standardize the constant anatomical features. The standardized anatomical features helped us to detect the particular medicinal plants species. A combination of three fruits with medicinal values is called ‘Triphala’consisted of ‘Amlaki’ (Phyllanthus emblica), ‘Bibhitaki’ (Terminalia bellirica) and ‘Haritaki’ (Terminalia chebula), used for boosting immunity.  In the Ayurvedic medicine, Triphala is recommended as an aqueous drink. In this study, microscopic and elemental analyses were attempted for the purpose of identifying morpho-anatomical characteristics of Triphala components, which could serve as markers for the authentication of this herbal product. Thinly cut sections and macerated tissue samples of three fruit samples were mounted in 70% glycerin and observed with a Leica DM-750 microscope equipped with LV-4.4 software. Starch grains, epidermal tissue, and cell wall structures were observed and compared for each species. Brown and yellow storage products, tannin and oil droplets were found in globular cells of T. bellirica and T. chebula. Elemental analysis was carried out using an Elementar CHNS analyzer (vario MICRO cube) to determine total carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur in fruit tissue. The results showed a significant variation in the amounts of carbon between samples.Â

Iron therapy substantially restores qEEG maturational lag among iron-deficient anemic infants

Objective: To use quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) to assess the impact of iron-deficiency anemia on central nervous system maturation in the first year of life. Method: Twenty-five infants (3–12 months old) presenting ferropenic anemia (IDA) and 25 healthy controls (CTL1), matched by age/gender with the former, were studied in two stages. Electroencephalogram during spontaneous sleep was recorded from all participants; the fast Fourier transform was calculated to obtain absolute power (AP) and relative power (RP) qEEG measures. In the first stage, a qEEG comparison between CTL1 and IDA was performed. Second stage consisted in comparing qEEG of the IDA infants before and after supplementation with iron (IDA-IS group), and comparing qEEG of the IDA-IS group with another control age-matched group (CTL2). Non-parametric multivariate permutation tests (NPT) were applied to assess differences between CTL1 and IDA groups, as well as IDA vs. IDA-IS, and IDA-IS vs. CTL2. Results: More power in slow frequency bands and less power in fast frequency bands in 64% of IDA babies were observed. NPT evinced higher alpha AP and RP (P < 0.001), less theta AP, and less delta and theta RP in CTL1 than in IDA. After iron-restoration therapy, alpha AP and RP increased while theta AP and theta and delta RP decreased, reaching almost normal values. Discussion: This work reveals CNS developmental delay through the study of qEEG (less rapid and more slow frequencies) which recovered significantly with iron supplementation. It is concluded that IDA constitutes a high risk factor for a lag of CNS maturation.CONACYT-Project No. CO1/40257-A1

Relating the generating functionals in field/antifield formulation through finite field dependent BRST transformation

We study the field/antifield formulation of pure Yang Mills theory in the framework of finite field dependent BRST transformation. We show that the generating functionals corresponding to different solutions of quantum master equation are connected through the finite field dependent BRST transformations. We establish this result with the help of several explicit examples.Comment: Revtex4, 18 pages, No figs, Accepted in Eur. Phys. J

Synthesis, magnetic and optical properties of core/shell Co1-xZnxFe2O4/SiO2 nanoparticles

The optical properties of multi-functionalized cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4), cobalt zinc ferrite (Co0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4), and zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4) nanoparticles have been enhanced by coating them with silica shell using a modified Stöber method. The ferrites nanoparticles were prepared by a modified citrate gel technique. These core/shell ferrites nanoparticles have been fired at temperatures: 400°C, 600°C and 800°C, respectively, for 2 h. The composition, phase, and morphology of the prepared core/shell ferrites nanoparticles were determined by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. The diffuse reflectance and magnetic properties of the core/shell ferrites nanoparticles at room temperature were investigated using UV/VIS double-beam spectrophotometer and vibrating sample magnetometer, respectively. It was found that, by increasing the firing temperature from 400°C to 800°C, the average crystallite size of the core/shell ferrites nanoparticles increases. The cobalt ferrite nanoparticles fired at temperature 800°C; show the highest saturation magnetization while the zinc ferrite nanoparticles coated with silica shell shows the highest diffuse reflectance. On the other hand, core/shell zinc ferrite/silica nanoparticles fired at 400°C show a ferromagnetic behavior and high diffuse reflectance when compared with all the uncoated or coated ferrites nanoparticles. These characteristics of core/shell zinc ferrite/silica nanostructures make them promising candidates for magneto-optical nanodevice applications

The Role of Calcineurin/NFAT in SFRP2 Induced Angiogenesis—A Rationale for Breast Cancer Treatment with the Calcineurin Inhibitor Tacrolimus

Tacrolimus (FK506) is an immunosuppressive drug that binds to the immunophilin FKBPB12. The FK506-FKBP12 complex associates with calcineurin and inhibits its phosphatase activity, resulting in inhibition of nuclear translocation of nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT). There is increasing data supporting a critical role of NFAT in mediating angiogenic responses stimulated by both vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and a novel angiogenesis factor, secreted frizzled-related protein 2 (SFRP2). Since both VEGF and SFRP2 are expressed in breast carcinomas, we hypothesized that tacrolimus would inhibit breast carcinoma growth. Using IHC (IHC) with antibodies to FKBP12 on breast carcinomas we found that FKBP12 localizes to breast tumor vasculature. Treatment of MMTV-neu transgenic mice with tacrolimus (3 mg/kg i.p. daily) (n = 19) resulted in a 73% reduction in the growth rate for tacrolimus treated mice compared to control (n = 15), p = 0.003; which was associated with an 82% reduction in tumor microvascular density (p<0.001) by IHC. Tacrolimus (1 µM) inhibited SFRP2 induced endothelial tube formation by 71% (p = 0.005) and inhibited VEGF induced endothelial tube formation by 67% (p = 0.004). To show that NFATc3 is required for SFRP2 stimulated angiogenesis, NFATc3 was silenced with shRNA in endothelial cells. Sham transfected cells responded to SFRP2 stimulation in a tube formation assay with an increase in the number of branch points (p<0.003), however, cells transfected with shRNA to NFATc3 showed no increase in tube formation in response to SFRP2. This demonstrates that NFATc3 is required for SFRP2 induced tube formation, and tacrolimus inhibits angiogenesis in vitro and breast carcinoma growth in vivo. This provides a rationale for examining the therapeutic potential of tacrolimus at inhibiting breast carcinoma growth in humans

MELCHIORS: The Mercator Library of High Resolution Stellar Spectroscopy

Aims. Over the past decades, libraries of stellar spectra have been used in a large variety of science cases, including as sources of reference spectra for a given object or a given spectral type. Despite the existence of large libraries and the increasing number of projects of large-scale spectral surveys, there is to date only one very high-resolution spectral library offering spectra from a few hundred objects from the southern hemisphere (UVES-POP). We aim to extend the sample, offering a finer coverage of effective temperatures and surface gravity with a uniform collection of spectra obtained in the northern hemisphere.Methods. Between 2010 and 2020, we acquired several thousand echelle spectra of bright stars with the Mercator-HERMES spectrograph located in the Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory in La Palma, whose pipeline offers high-quality data reduction products. We have also developed methods to correct for the instrumental response in order to approach the true shape of the spectral continuum. Additionally, we have devised a normalisation process to provide a homogeneous normalisation of the full spectral range for most of the objects.Results. We present a new spectral library consisting of 3256 spectra covering 2043 stars. It combines high signal-to-noise and high spectral resolution over the entire range of effective temperatures and luminosity classes. The spectra are presented in four versions: raw, corrected from the instrumental response, with and without correction from the atmospheric molecular absorption, and normalised (including the telluric correction)