6,944 research outputs found
Lattice results for the decay constant of heavy-light vector mesons
We compute the leptonic decay constants of heavy-light vector mesons in the
quenched approximation. The reliability of lattice computations for heavy
quarks is checked by comparing the ratio of vector to pseudoscalar decay
constant with the prediction of Heavy Quark Effective Theory in the limit of
infinitely heavy quark mass. Good agreement is found. We then calculate the
decay constant ratio for B mesons: .
We also quote quenched MeV.Comment: 11 pages, 3 postscript figs., revtex; two references adde
Cell-penetrating peptide conjugates of peptide nucleic acids (PNA) as inhibitors of HIV-1 Tat-dependent trans-activation in cells
The trans-activation response (TAR) RNA stemâloop that occurs at the 5âČ end of HIV RNA transcripts is an important antiviral target and is the site of interaction of the HIV-1 Tat protein together with host cellular factors. Oligonucleotides and their analogues targeted to TAR are potential antiviral candidates. We have investigated a range of cell penetrating peptide (CPP) conjugates of a 16mer peptide nucleic acid (PNA) analogue targeted to the apical stemâloop of TAR and show that disulfide-linked PNA conjugates of two types of CPP (Transportan or a novel chimeric peptide R(6)-Penetratin) exhibit dose-dependent inhibition of Tat-dependent trans-activation in a HeLa cell assay when incubated for 24 h. Activity is reached within 6 h if the lysosomotropic reagent chloroquine is co-administered. Fluorescein-labelled stably-linked conjugates of Tat, Transportan or Transportan TP10 with PNA were inactive when delivered alone, but attained trans-activation inhibition in the presence of chloroquine. Confocal microscopy showed that such fluorescently labelled CPPâPNA conjugates were sequestered in endosomal or membrane-bound compartments of HeLa cells, which varied in appearance depending on the CPP type. Co-administration of chloroquine was seen in some cases to release fluorescence from such compartments into the nucleus, but with different patterns depending on the CPP. The results show that CPPâPNA conjugates of different types can inhibit Tat-dependent trans-activation in HeLa cells and have potential for development as antiviral agents. Endosomal or membrane release is a major factor limiting nuclear delivery and trans-activation inhibition
Scaling of FLIC Fermions
Hadron masses are calculated in quenched lattice QCD on a variety of lattices
in order to probe the scaling behavior of the Fat-Link Irrelevant Clover (FLIC)
fermion action, a fat-link clover fermion action in which the purely irrelevant
operators of the fermion action are constructed using APE-smeared links. The
scaling analysis indicates FLIC fermions provide a new form of nonperturbative
O(a) improvement where near-continuum results are obtained at finite lattice
spacing.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, 2 tables. Figure updated and references added.
Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
Toll-like receptor 3 activation is required for normal skin barrier repair following UV damage.
UV damage to the skin leads to the release of noncoding RNA (ncRNA) from necrotic keratinocytes that activates Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3). This release of ncRNA triggers inflammation in the skin following UV damage. Recently, TLR3 activation was also shown to aid wound repair and increase the expression of genes associated with permeability barrier repair. Here, we sought to test whether skin barrier repair after UVB damage is dependent on the activation of TLR3. We observed that multiple ncRNAs induced expression of skin barrier repair genes, that the TLR3 ligand Poly (I:C) also induced expression and function of tight junctions, and that the ncRNA U1 acts in a TLR3-dependent manner to induce expression of skin barrier repair genes. These observations were shown to have functional relevance as Tlr3-/- mice displayed a delay in skin barrier repair following UVB damage. Combined, these data further validate the conclusion that recognition of endogenous RNA by TLR3 is an important step in the program of skin barrier repair
Eco Global Evaluation: Cross Benefits of Economic and Ecological Evaluation
This paper highlights the complementarities of cost and environmental evaluation in a sustainable approach. Starting with the needs and limits for whole product lifecycle evaluation, this paper begins with the modeling, data capture and performance indicator aspects. In a second step, the information issue, regarding the whole lifecycle of the product is addressed. In order to go further than the economical evaluations/assessment, the value concept (for a product or a service) is discussed. Value could combine functional requirements, cost objectives and environmental impact. Finally, knowledge issues which address the complexity of integrating multi-disciplinary expertise to the whole lifecycle of a product are discussing.EcoSD NetworkEcoSD networ
Family Diabetes Camp Amidst COVID-19: A Community of Practice Model
Studies have found that youth are experiencing higher anxiety levels than prior to COVID-19, and youth with type 1 diabetes are at higher risk. Medical specialty camps are a type of camp that provide opportunities for youth with chronic illnesses to share common goals, increase socialization, improve camper well-being, and increase knowledge of diabetes management. The program evaluation sought to determine the impact of a campersâ outcomes of independence and perceived competence and familial impact during COVID-19. Over half the participants were at their first diabetes camp and 71% of the campers felt their perceived competence âincreased a little bitâ because of camp. Over 95% of parents felt that their participation in camp had increased their diabetes knowledge. Qualitative data from parents revealed 2 themes, camp as a meeting place and learning from others. The findings from this study demonstrate that medical specialty camps influence campersâ perceptions of independence and competence and that families play an important role in creating a community of practice
Comparing supermarket loyalty card data with traditional diet survey data for understanding how protein is purchased and consumed in older adults for the UK, 2014-16
The project was funded by the Research Councils UK âPriming Food Partnershipsâ initiative supported by BBSRC, MRC, EPSRC and ESRC. Project reference number â BB/P023886/1. Thank you to the High Street Retailer for supplying the data.Peer reviewedPublisher PD
Better Environment, Better Staff
The article discusses result of a survey addressing the quality of work life among audit personnel in the U.S. The result shows that dissatisfaction in the work environment affects staff\u27s performance. Creating customer value is one of the issues in business establishment. As stated, clients are demanding the expertise that comes with experiences. The quality of work environment may persuade outstanding staff members to pursue other career options. Financial rewards of public accounting are not the basis for changes in the rating of staff
Active and passive fields face to face
The statistical properties of active and passive scalar fields transported by
the same turbulent flow are investigated. Four examples of active scalar have
been considered: temperature in thermal convection, magnetic potential in
two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics, vorticity in two-dimensional Ekman
turbulence and potential temperature in surface flows. In the cases of
temperature and vorticity, it is found that the active scalar behavior is akin
to that of its co-evolving passive counterpart. The two other cases indicate
that this similarity is in fact not generic and differences between passive and
active fields can be striking: in two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics the
magnetic potential performs an inverse cascade while the passive scalar
cascades toward the small-scales; in surface flows, albeit both perform a
direct cascade, the potential temperature and the passive scalar have different
scaling laws already at the level of low-order statistical objects. These
dramatic differences are rooted in the correlations between the active scalar
input and the particle trajectories. The role of such correlations in the issue
of universality in active scalar transport and the behavior of dissipative
anomalies is addressed.Comment: 36 pages, 20 eps figures, for the published version see
http://www.iop.org/EJ/abstract/1367-2630/6/1/07
The Star Formation History and Dust Content in the Far Outer Disc of M31
We present a detailed analysis of two fields located 26 kpc (~5 scalelengths)
from the centre of M31. One field samples the major axis populations--the Outer
Disc field--while the other is offset by ~18' and samples the Warp in the
stellar disc. The CMDs based on HST/ACS imaging reach old main-sequence
turn-offs (~12.5 Gyr). We apply the CMD-fitting technique to the Warp field to
reconstruct the star formation history (SFH). We find that after undergoing
roughly constant SF until about 4.5 Gyr ago, there was a rapid decline in
activity and then a ~1.5 Gyr lull, followed by a strong burst lasting 1.5 Gyr
and responsible for 25% of the total stellar mass in this field. This burst
appears to be accompanied by a decline in metallicity which could be a
signature of the inflow of metal-poor gas. The onset of the burst (~3 Gyr ago)
corresponds to the last close passage of M31 and M33 as predicted by detailed
N-body modelling, and may have been triggered by this event. We reprocess the
deep M33 outer disc field data of Barker et al. (2011) in order to compare
consistently-derived SFHs. This reveals a similar duration burst that is
exactly coeval with that seen in the M31 Warp field, lending further support to
the interaction hypothesis. The complex SFHs and the smoothly-varying
age-metallicity relations suggest that the stellar populations observed in the
far outer discs of both galaxies have largely formed in situ rather than
migrated from smaller galactocentric radii. The strong differential reddening
affecting the CMD of the Outer Disc field prevents derivation of the SFH.
Instead, we quantify this reddening and find that the fine-scale distribution
of dust precisely follows that of the HI gas. This indicates that the outer HI
disc of M31 contains a substantial amount of dust and therefore suggests
significant metal enrichment in these parts, consistent with inferences from
our CMD analysis.Comment: Abstract shortened. 17 pages, 12 figures (+ 6 pages & 5 figures in
Appendix). MNRAS, in pres
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