Local Void vs Dark Energy: Confrontation with WMAP and Type Ia Supernovae

It is now a known fact that if we happen to be living in the middle of a large underdense region, then we will observe an "apparent acceleration", even when any form of dark energy is absent. In this paper, we present a "Minimal Void" scenario, i.e. a "void" with minimal underdensity contrast (of about -0.4) and radius (~ 200-250 Mpc/h) that can, not only explain the supernovae data, but also be consistent with the 3-yr WMAP data. We also discuss consistency of our model with various other measurements such as Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, Baryon Acoustic Oscillations and local measurements of the Hubble parameter, and also point out possible observable signatures.Comment: Minor numerical errors and typos corrected, references adde

A Compensatory Mutation Provides Resistance to Disparate HIV Fusion Inhibitor Peptides and Enhances Membrane Fusion

Fusion inhibitors are a class of antiretroviral drugs used to prevent entry of HIV into host cells. Many of the fusion inhibitors being developed, including the drug enfuvirtide, are peptides designed to competitively inhibit the viral fusion protein gp41. With the emergence of drug resistance, there is an increased need for effective and unique alternatives within this class of antivirals. One such alternative is a class of cyclic, cationic, antimicrobial peptides known as θ-defensins, which are produced by many non-human primates and exhibit broad-spectrum antiviral and antibacterial activity. Currently, the θ-defensin analog RC-101 is being developed as a microbicide due to its specific antiviral activity, lack of toxicity to cells and tissues, and safety in animals. Understanding potential RC-101 resistance, and how resistance to other fusion inhibitors affects RC-101 susceptibility, is critical for future development. In previous studies, we identified a mutant, R5-tropic virus that had evolved partial resistance to RC-101 during in vitro selection. Here, we report that a secondary mutation in gp41 was found to restore replicative fitness, membrane fusion, and the rate of viral entry, which were compromised by an initial mutation providing partial RC-101 resistance. Interestingly, we show that RC-101 is effective against two enfuvirtide-resistant mutants, demonstrating the clinical importance of RC-101 as a unique fusion inhibitor. These findings both expand our understanding of HIV drug-resistance to diverse peptide fusion inhibitors and emphasize the significance of compensatory gp41 mutations. © 2013 Wood et al

Grifonin-1: A Small HIV-1 Entry Inhibitor Derived from the Algal Lectin, Griffithsin

Background: Griffithsin, a 121-residue protein isolated from a red algal Griffithsia sp., binds high mannose N-linked glycans of virus surface glycoproteins with extremely high affinity, a property that allows it to prevent the entry of primary isolates and laboratory strains of T- and M-tropic HIV-1. We used the sequence of a portion of griffithsin's sequence as a design template to create smaller peptides with antiviral and carbohydrate-binding properties. Methodology/Results: The new peptides derived from a trio of homologous β-sheet repeats that comprise the motifs responsible for its biological activity. Our most active antiviral peptide, grifonin-1 (GRFN-1), had an EC50 of 190.8±11.0 nM in in vitro TZM-bl assays and an EC50 of 546.6±66.1 nM in p24gag antigen release assays. GRFN-1 showed considerable structural plasticity, assuming different conformations in solvents that differed in polarity and hydrophobicity. Higher concentrations of GRFN-1 formed oligomers, based on intermolecular β-sheet interactions. Like its parent protein, GRFN-1 bound viral glycoproteins gp41 and gp120 via the N-linked glycans on their surface. Conclusion: Its substantial antiviral activity and low toxicity in vitro suggest that GRFN-1 and/or its derivatives may have therapeutic potential as topical and/or systemic agents directed against HIV-1

Measurement of Interfering K^*+K^- and K^*-K^+ Amplitudes in the Decay D^0 --> K^+K^-pi^0

We have studied the Cabibbo-suppressed decay mode D^0 into K^+ K^- pi^0 using a Dalitz plot technique and find the strong phase difference delta_D [defined as delta_(K*^- K^+) - delta_(K*^+ K^-)] = 332 degrees +- 8 degrees +- 11 degrees and relative amplitude r_D [defined as a_(K*^- K^+) / a_(K*^+ K^-)] = 0.52 +- 0.05 +- 0.04. This measurement indicates significant destructive interference between D^0 into K^+ (K^- pi^0)_K*^- and D^0 into K^- (K^+ pi^0)_K*^+ in the Dalitz plot region where these two modes overlap. This analysis uses 9.0 fb^(-1) of data collected at s^(1/2) of approximately 10.58 GeV with the CLEO III detector.Comment: 10 pages postscript,also available through http://www.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS/2006/, Submitted to Phys. Rev. D (Rapid Communications

Update of the measurement of the cross section for e^+e^- -> psi(3770) -> hadrons

We have updated our measurement of the cross section for e^+e^- -> psi(3770) -> hadrons, our publication "Measurement of sigma(e^+e^- -> psi(3770) -> hadrons) at E_{c.m.} = 3773 MeV", arXiv:hep-ex/0512038, Phys.Rev.Lett.96, 092002 (2006). Simultaneous with this arXiv update, we have published an erratum in Phys.Rev.Lett.104, 159901 (2010). There, and in this update, we have corrected a mistake in the computation of the error on the difference of the cross sections for e^+e^- -> psi(3770) -> hadrons and e^+e^- -> psi(3770) -> DDbar. We have also used a more recent CLEO measurement of cross section for e^+e^- -> psi(3770) -> DDbar. From this, we obtain an upper limit on the branching fraction for psi(3770) -> non-DDbar of 9% at 90% confidence level.Comment: 3 pages, 0 figures. This is an erratum to Phys.Rev.Lett.96:092002,2006. Added a reference

Production of π0 and η mesons in Cu+Au collisions at sNN =200 GeV

Production of π0 and η mesons has been measured at midrapidity in Cu+Au collisions at sNN=200GeV. Measurements were performed in π0(η)→γγ decay channel in the 1(2)-20GeV/c transverse momentum range. A strong suppression is observed for π0 and η meson production at high transverse momentum in central Cu+Au collisions relative to the p+p results scaled by the number of nucleon-nucleon collisions. In central collisions the suppression is similar to Au+Au with comparable nuclear overlap. The η/π0 ratio measured as a function of transverse momentum is consistent with mT-scaling parametrization down to pT=2GeV/c, its asymptotic value is constant and consistent with Au+Au and p+p and does not show any significant dependence on collision centrality. Similar results were obtained in hadron-hadron, hadron-nucleus, and nucleus-nucleus collisions as well as in e+e- collisions in a range of collision energies sNN=3-1800 GeV. This suggests that the quark-gluon-plasma medium produced in Cu+Cu collisions either does not affect the jet fragmentation into light mesons or it affects the π0 and η the same way

A Study of Exclusive Charmless Semileptonic B Decays and Extraction of |V_{ub}| at CLEO

We have studied semileptonic B decay to the exclusive charmless states pi, rho/omega, eta and eta' using the full 15.5 fb^-1 CLEO Upsilon(4S) sample, with measurements performed in subregions of phase space to minimize dependence on a priori knowledge of the form factors involved. We find total branching fractions B(B^0 -> pi^-l^+nu) = (1.37 +- 0.15_stat +- 0.11_sys) x 10^-4 and B(B^0 -> rho^- l^+ nu) = (2.93 +- 0.37_stat +- 0.37_sys) x 10^-4. We find evidence for B^+ -> eta' l^+ nu, with B(B^+ -> eta' l^+ nu) = (2.66 +- 0.80_stat +- 0.56_sys) x 10^-4 and 1.20 x 10^-4 eta' l^+ nu) < 4.46 x 10^-4 (90% CL). We also limit B(B^+ -> eta l^+ nu) < 1.01 x 10^-4 (90% CL). By combining our B -> pi l nu information with unquenched lattice calculations, we find |V_ub| = (3.6 +- 0.4 +- 0.2 +0.6 -0.4) x 10^-3, where the errors are statistical, experimental systematic, and theoretical systematic, respectively.Comment: 35 pages, 15 figures; revise

Search for Radiative Decays of Upsilon(1S) into eta and eta'

We report on a search for the radiative decay of Upsilon(1S) to the pseudoscalar mesons eta and etaprime in 21.2 +/- 0.2 times 10^6 Upsilon(1S) decays collected with the CLEO III detector at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR). The eta meson was reconstructed in the three modes eta to gamma-gamma, eta to pi+pi-pi0 and eta to 3pi0. The etaprime meson was reconstructed in the mode etaprime to pi+ pi- eta with eta decaying through any of the above three modes, and also etaprime to gamma rho, where rho decays to pi^+ pi^-. Five out of the seven sub-modes are found to be virtually background-free. In four of them we find no signal candidates and in one Upsilon(1S) to gamma-etaprime, etaprime to pi+ pi- eta, eta to pi+pi-pi0 there are two good signal candidates, which is insufficient evidence to claim a signal. The other two sub-modes eta to gamma-gamma and etaprime to gamma rho are background limited, and show no excess of events in their signal regions. We combine the results from different channels and obtain upper limits at the 90% C.L. which are B(Upsilon(1S) to gamma eta) < 1.0 times 10^-6 and B(Upsilon(1S) to gamma etaprime) < 1.9 times 10^-6. Our limits are an order of magnitude tighter than the previous ones and below the predictions made by some theoretical models.Comment: 14 pages postscript,also available through http://www.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS/2007/, Submitted to PR

Absolute Branching Fraction Measurements for D^+ and D^0 Inclusive Semileptonic Decays

We present measurements of the inclusive branching fractions for the decays D^+ -> X e^+ nu_e and D^0 -> X e^+ nu_e, using 281 pb^-1 of data collected on the psi(3770) resonance with the CLEO-c detector. We find Br(D^0 ->Xe^+\nu_e) = (6.46 \pm 0.17 \pm 0.13)% and Br((D^+ -> Xe^+nu_e) = (16.13 \pm 0.20 \pm 0.33)%. Using the known D meson lifetimes, we obtain the ratio Gamma{D^+}^sl/Gamma_{D^0}^sl= 0.985\pm 0.028\pm 0.015, confirming isospin invariance at the level of 3%. The positron momentum spectra from D^+ and D^0 have consistent shapes.Comment: 6 pages postscript,also available through this http://www.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS/2006

Genetic inhibition of neurotransmission reveals role of glutamatergic input to dopamine neurons in high-effort behavior

Midbrain dopamine neurons are crucial for many behavioral and cognitive functions. As the major excitatory input, glutamatergic afferents are important for control of the activity and plasticity of dopamine neurons. However, the role of glutamatergic input as a whole onto dopamine neurons remains unclear. Here we developed a mouse line in which glutamatergic inputs onto dopamine neurons are specifically impaired, and utilized this genetic model to directly test the role of glutamatergic inputs in dopamine-related functions. We found that while motor coordination and reward learning were largely unchanged, these animals showed prominent deficits in effort-related behavioral tasks. These results provide genetic evidence that glutamatergic transmission onto dopaminergic neurons underlies incentive motivation, a willingness to exert high levels of effort to obtain reinforcers, and have important implications for understanding the normal function of the midbrain dopamine system.Fil: Hutchison, M. A.. National Institutes of Health; Estados UnidosFil: Gu, X.. National Institutes of Health; Estados UnidosFil: Adrover, Martín Federico. National Institutes of Health; Estados Unidos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; ArgentinaFil: Lee, M. R.. National Institutes of Health; Estados UnidosFil: Hnasko, T. S.. University of California at San Diego; Estados UnidosFil: Alvarez, V. A.. National Institutes of Health; Estados UnidosFil: Lu, W.. National Institutes of Health; Estados Unido