Probing the Deuteron at Very Large Internal Momenta

We measure 2H(e,e′p)n cross sections at 4-momentum transfers of Q2 = 4.5 ± 0.5   (GeV/c)2 over a range of neutron recoil momenta pr, reaching up to ∼1.0  GeV/c. We obtain data at fixed neutron recoil angles θnq = 35°, 45°, and 75° with respect to the 3-momentum transfer →q. The new data agree well with previous data, which reached pr ∼ 500  MeV/c. At θnq = 35° and 45°, final state interactions, meson exchange currents, and isobar currents are suppressed and the plane wave impulse approximation provides the dominant cross section contribution. We compare the new data to recent theoretical calculations, where we observe a significant discrepancy for recoil momenta pr \u3e 700  MeV/c

Genetic variants in immune-related pathways and breast cancer risk in African American women in the AMBER consortium

Background: Constitutional immunity shaped by exposure to endemic infectious diseases and parasitic worms in Sub-Saharan Africa may play a role in the etiology of breast cancer among African American (AA) women. Methods: A total of 149,514 gene variants in 433 genes across 45 immune pathways were analyzed in the AMBER consortium among 3,663 breast cancer cases and 4,687 controls. Gene-based pathway analyses were conducted using the adaptive rank truncated product statistic for overall breast cancer risk, and risk by estrogen receptor (ER) status. Unconditional logistic regression analysis was used to estimate ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for single variants. Results: The top pathways were Interleukin binding (P = 0.01), Biocarta TNFR2 (P = 0.005), and positive regulation of cytokine production (P = 0.024) for overall, ER+, ER- cancers, respectively. The most significant gene was IL2RB (P = 0.001) for overall cancer, with rs228952 being the top variant identified (OR = 0.85; 95% CI, 0.79-0.92). Only BCL3 contained a significant variant for ER+ breast cancer. Variants in IL2RB, TLR6, IL8, PRKDC, and MAP3K1 were associated with ER- disease. The only genes showing heterogeneity between ER- and ER+ cancers were TRAF1, MAP3K1, and MAPK3 (P < 0.02). We also noted genes associated with autoimmune and atopic disorders. Conclusions: Findings from this study suggest that genetic variants in immune pathways are relevant to breast cancer susceptibility among AA women, both for ER+ and ER- breast cancers. Impact: Results from this study extend our understanding of how inherited genetic variation in immune pathways is relevant to breast cancer susceptibility

Conformational dynamics and internal friction in homopolymer globules: equilibrium vs. non-equilibrium simulations

We study the conformational dynamics within homopolymer globules by solvent-implicit Brownian dynamics simulations. A strong dependence of the internal chain dynamics on the Lennard-Jones cohesion strength ε and the globule size N [subscript G] is observed. We find two distinct dynamical regimes: a liquid-like regime (for ε ε[subscript s] with slow internal dynamics. The cohesion strength ε[subscript s] of this freezing transition depends on N G . Equilibrium simulations, where we investigate the diffusional chain dynamics within the globule, are compared with non-equilibrium simulations, where we unfold the globule by pulling the chain ends with prescribed velocity (encompassing low enough velocities so that the linear-response, viscous regime is reached). From both simulation protocols we derive the internal viscosity within the globule. In the liquid-like regime the internal friction increases continuously with ε and scales extensive in N [subscript G] . This suggests an internal friction scenario where the entire chain (or an extensive fraction thereof) takes part in conformational reorganization of the globular structure.American Society for Engineering Education. National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowshi

Relations between Financing and Output in the Not-for-Profit Hospital

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68639/2/10.1177_107755878804500204.pd

Parâmetros fotossintéticos e crescimento em mudas de bertholletia excelsa e carapa guianensis em resposta a pré-aclimatação a pleno sol e estresse hídrico moderado

Light and water are important factors that may limit the growth and development of higher plants. The aim of this study was to evaluate photosynthetic parameters and growth in seedlings of Bertholletia excelsa and Carapa guianensis in response to pre-acclimation to full sunlight and mild water stress. I used six independent pre-acclimation treatments (0, 90 (11h15-12h45), 180 (10h30-13h30), 360 (09h00-15h00), 540 (07h30-16h30) and 720 min (06h00-18h00)) varying the time of exposure to full sunlight (PFS) during 30 days, followed by whole-day outdoor exposure for 120 days. Before PFS, the plants were kept in a greenhouse at low light levels (0.8 mol m-2 day-1). The PFS of 0 min corresponded to plants constantly kept under greenhouse conditions. From the beginning to the end of the experiment, each PFS treatment was submitted to two water regimesmoderate water stress (MWS, pre-dawn leaf water potential (ΨL) of -500 to -700 kPa) and without water stress (WWS, ΨL of -300 kPa, soil kept at field capacity). Plants under MWS received only a fraction of the amount of water applied to the well-watered ones. At the end of the 120-day-period under outdoor conditions, I evaluated light saturated photosynthesis (Amax), stomatal conductance (g s), transpiration (E) and plant growth. Both Amax and g s were higher for all plants under the PFS treatment. Stem diameter growth rate and Amax were higher for C. guianensis subjected to MWS than in well-watered plants. The contrary was true for B. excelsa. The growth of seedlings was enhanced by exposure to full sunlight for 180 minutes in both species. However, plants of B. excelsa were sensitive to moderate water stress. The higher photosynthetic rates and faster growth of C. guianensis under full sun and moderate water stress make this species a promissory candidate to be tested in reforestation programs.A luz e a água são importantes fatores que limitam o crescimento e o desenvolvimento das plantas. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar os paâmetros fotossintéticos e o crescimento em mudas de Bertholletia excelsa e Carapa guianensis em resposta a pré-aclimatação à luz solar plena e estresse hídrico moderado. Foram usados seis independentes tratamentos de pré-aclimatação a pleno sol (PFS), sendo estes de (0, 90 (11h15-12h45), 180 (10h30-13h30), 360 (09h00-15h00), 540 (07h30-16h30) e 720 min (06h00-18h00)) durante 30 dias seguidos por um período de exposição a pleno sol de 120 dias durante o dia todo. Antes da PFS, as plantas foram mantidas em casa de vegetação a baixos níveis de luz (0,8 mol m-2 dia-1). O PFS de 0 min correspondeu às plantas mantidas constatemente na casa de vegetação. Cada tratamento de PFS foi submetido desde o início até o final do experimento a dois regimes hídricos, denominado de estresse hídrico moderado (MWS, potencial hidrico da folha medido antes do amanhecer (ΨL) de -500 a -700 kPa) e sem estresse hídrico (WWS , ΨL de -300 kPa, solo mantido na capacidade de campo). As plantas do tratamento MWS receberam apenas uma fração do volume de água fornecido para aquelas do tratamento WWS. No final do período de 120 dias foi avaliada a fotossíntese saturada por luz (Amax), a condutância estomática (g s), transpiração (E) e o crescimento. Amax e g s foram maiores em todas as plantas sob o tratamento de PFS. A taxa de crescimento em diâmetro e Amax foram maiores em plantas de C. guianensis submetidas à MWS. O contrário foi observado em B. excelsa. O crescimento das mudas foi maior nas plantas expostas à luz solar em 180 minutos em ambas as espécies. Entretanto, as plantas de B. excelsa foram mais sensíveis ao estresse hídrico moderado. C. guianensis foi à especie que teve melhor desempenho fotossintético e crescimento sob estresse hídrico moderado e luz solar plena. Portanto, essa espécie tem grande potencialidade para ser testada em programas de reflorestamento

Determination of the Form Factors for the Decay B0 --> D*-l+nu_l and of the CKM Matrix Element |Vcb|

We present a combined measurement of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element $|V_{cb}|$ and of the parameters $\rho^2$, $R_1$, and $R_2$, which fully characterize the form factors of the $B^0 \to D^{*-}\ell^{+}\nu_\ell$ decay in the framework of HQET, based on a sample of about 52,800 $B^0 \to D^{*-}\ell^{+}\nu_\ell$ decays recorded by the BABAR detector. The kinematical information of the fully reconstructed decay is used to extract the following values for the parameters (where the first errors are statistical and the second systematic): $\rho^2 = 1.156 \pm 0.094 \pm 0.028$, $R_1 = 1.329 \pm 0.131 \pm 0.044$, $R_2 = 0.859 \pm 0.077 \pm 0.022$, $\mathcal{F}(1)|V_{cb}| = (35.03 \pm 0.39 \pm 1.15) \times 10^{-3}$. By combining these measurements with the previous BABAR measurements of the form factors which employs a different technique on a partial sample of the data, we improve the statistical accuracy of the measurement, obtaining: $\rho^2 = 1.179 \pm 0.048 \pm 0.028, R_1 = 1.417 \pm 0.061 \pm 0.044, R_2 = 0.836 \pm 0.037 \pm 0.022,$ and $\mathcal{F}(1)|V_{cb}| = (34.68 \pm 0.32 \pm 1.15) \times 10^{-3}.$ Using the lattice calculations for the axial form factor $\mathcal{F}(1)$, we extract $|V_{cb}| =(37.74 \pm 0.35 \pm 1.25 \pm ^{1.23}_{1.44}) \times 10^{-3}$, where the third error is due to the uncertainty in $\mathcal{F}(1)$

Study of the Exclusive Initial-State Radiation Production of the DDˉD \bar D System

A study of exclusive production of the $D \bar D$ system through initial-state r adiation is performed in a search for charmonium states, where $D=D^0$ or $D^+$. The $D^0$ mesons are reconstructed in the $D^0 \to K^- \pi^+$, $D^0 \to K^- \pi^+ \pi^0$, and $D^0 \to K^- \pi^+ \pi^+ \pi^-$ decay modes. The $D^+$ is reconstructed through the $D^+ \to K^- \pi^+ \pi^+$ decay mode. The analysis makes use of an integrated luminosity of 288.5 fb$^{-1}$ collected by the BaBar experiment. The $D \bar D$ mass spectrum shows a clear $\psi(3770)$ signal. Further structures appear in the 3.9 and 4.1 GeV/$c^2$ regions. No evidence is found for Y(4260) decays to $D \bar D$, implying an up per limit \frac{\BR(Y(4260)\to D \bar D)}{\BR(Y(4260)\to J/\psi \pi^+ \pi^-)} < 7.6 (95 % confidence level)