2,180 research outputs found
Vibrations and fractional vibrations of rods, plates and Fresnel pseudo-processes
Different initial and boundary value problems for the equation of vibrations
of rods (also called Fresnel equation) are solved by exploiting the connection
with Brownian motion and the heat equation. The analysis of the fractional
version (of order ) of the Fresnel equation is also performed and, in
detail, some specific cases, like , 1/3, 2/3, are analyzed. By means
of the fundamental solution of the Fresnel equation, a pseudo-process ,
with real sign-varying density is constructed and some of its properties
examined. The equation of vibrations of plates is considered and the case of
circular vibrating disks is investigated by applying the methods of
planar orthogonally reflecting Brownian motion within . The composition of
F with reflecting Brownian motion yields the law of biquadratic heat
equation while the composition of with the first passage time of
produces a genuine probability law strictly connected with the Cauchy process.Comment: 33 pages,8 figure
Diffusion in multiscale spacetimes
We study diffusion processes in anomalous spacetimes regarded as models of
quantum geometry. Several types of diffusion equation and their solutions are
presented and the associated stochastic processes are identified. These results
are partly based on the literature in probability and percolation theory but
their physical interpretation here is different since they apply to quantum
spacetime itself. The case of multiscale (in particular, multifractal)
spacetimes is then considered through a number of examples and the most general
spectral-dimension profile of multifractional spaces is constructed.Comment: 23 pages, 5 figures. v2: discussion improved, typos corrected,
references adde
A qualitative study of independent fast food vendors near secondary schools in disadvantaged Scottish neighbourhoods
Background:
Preventing and reducing childhood and adolescent obesity is a growing priority in many countries. Recent UK data suggest that children in more deprived areas have higher rates of obesity and poorer diet quality than those in less deprived areas. As adolescents spend a large proportion of time in school, interventions to improve the food environment in and around schools are being considered. Nutrient standards for school meals are mandatory in the UK, but many secondary pupils purchase foods outside schools at break or lunchtime that may not meet these standards.
Methods:
Qualitative interviews were conducted with fast food shop managers to explore barriers to offering healthier menu options. Recruitment targeted independently-owned shops near secondary schools (pupils aged c.12-17) in low-income areas of three Scottish cities. Ten interviews were completed, recorded, and transcribed for analysis. An inductive qualitative approach was used to analyse the data in NVivo 10.
Results:
Five themes emerged from the data: pride in what is sold; individual autonomy and responsibility; customer demand; profit margin; and neighbourhood context. Interviewees consistently expressed pride in the foods they sold, most of which were homemade. They felt that healthy eating and general wellbeing are the responsibility of the individual and that offering what customers want to eat, not necessarily what they should eat, was the only way to stay in business. Most vendors felt they were struggling to maintain a profit, and that many aspects of the low-income neighbourhood context would make change difficult or impossible.
Conclusions:
Independent food shops in low-income areas face barriers to offering healthy food choices, and interventions and policies that target the food environment around schools should take the neighbourhood context into consideration
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Studies of Bs2∗(5840)0 and Bs1(5830)0 mesons including the observation of the Bs2∗(5840)0→B0KS0 decay in proton-proton collisions at s=8TeV.
Measurements of Bs2∗(5840)0 and Bs1(5830)0 mesons are performed using a data sample of proton-proton collisions corresponding to an integrated luminosity of , collected with the CMS detector at the LHC at a centre-of-mass energy of 8TeV . The analysis studies P-wave Bs0 meson decays into B(∗)+K- and B(∗)0KS0 , where the B+ and B0 mesons are identified using the decays B+→J/ψK+ and B0→J/ψK∗(892)0 . The masses of the P-wave Bs0 meson states are measured and the natural width of the Bs2∗(5840)0 state is determined. The first measurement of the mass difference between the charged and neutral B∗ mesons is also presented. The Bs2∗(5840)0 decay to B0KS0 is observed, together with a measurement of its branching fraction relative to the Bs2∗(5840)0→B+K- decay
ADP Ribosylation Factor Like 2 (Arl2) Regulates Breast Tumor Aggressivity in Immunodeficient Mice
We have previously reported that ADP ribosylation factor like 2 (Arl2), a small GTPase, content influences microtubule dynamics and cell cycle distribution in breast tumor cells, as well as the degree and distribution of phosphorylated P53. Here we show, in two different human breast adenocarcinoma models, that Arl2 content has a major impact on breast tumor cell aggressivity both in vitro and in vivo. Cells with reduced content of Arl2 displayed reduced contact inhibition, increased clonogenic or cluster formation as well as a proliferative advantage over control cells in an in vitro competition assay. These cells also caused larger tumors in SCID mice, a phenotype which was mimicked by the in vivo administration of siRNA directed against Arl2. Cells with increased Arl2 content displayed reduced aggressivity, both in vitro and in vivo, with enhanced necrosis and were also found to contain increased PP2A phosphatase activity. A rt-PCR analysis of fresh human tumor breast samples suggested that low Arl2 expression was associated with larger tumor size and greater risk of lymph node involvement at diagnosis. These data underline the role of Arl2, a small GTPase, as an important regulator of breast tumor cell aggressivity, both in vitro and in vivo
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