The oral microbiome of denture wearers is influenced by natural dentition

Objectives: The composition of dental plaque has been well defined, whereas currently there is limited understanding of the composition of denture plaque and how it directly influences denture related stomatitis (DS). The aims of this study were to compare the microbiomes of denture wearers, and to understand the implications of these towards inter-kingdom and host-pathogen interactions within the oral cavity. Methods: Swab samples were obtained from 123 participants wearing either a complete or partial denture; the bacterial composition of each sample was determined using bar-coded illumina MiSeq sequencing of the bacterial hypervariable V4 region of 16S rDNA. Sequencing data processing was undertaken using QIIME, clustered in Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) and assigned to taxonomy. The dentures were sonicated to remove the microbial flora residing on the prosthesis, sonicate was then cultured using diagnostic colorex Candida media. Samples of unstimulated saliva were obtained and antimicrobial peptides (AMP) levels were measured by ELISA. Results: We have shown that dental and denture plaques are significantly distinct both in composition and diversity and that the oral microbiome composition of a denture wearer is variable and is influenced by the location within the mouth. Dentures and mucosa were predominantly made up of Bacilli and Actinobacteria. Moreover, the presence of natural teeth has a significant impact on the overall microbial composition, when compared to the fully edentulous. Furthermore, increasing levels of Candida spp. positively correlate with Lactobacillus spp. AMPs were quantified, though showed no specific correlations. Conclusions: This is the first study to provide a detailed understanding of the oral microbiome of denture wearers and has provided evidence that DS development is more complex than simply a candidal infection. Both fungal and bacterial kingdoms clearly play a role in defining the progression of DS, though we were unable to show a defined role for AMPs

On-shell two-loop three-gluon vertex

The two-loop three-gluon vertex is calculated in an arbitrary covariant gauge, in the limit when two of the gluons are on the mass shell. The corresponding two-loop results for the ghost-gluon vertex are also obtained. It is shown that the results are consistent with the Ward-Slavnov-Taylor identities.Comment: 34 pages, LaTeX, including 5 figures, uses eps

Three-gluon vertex in arbitrary gauge and dimension

One-loop off-shell contributions to the three-gluon vertex are calculated, in arbitrary covariant gauge and in arbitrary space-time dimension, including quark-loop contributions (with massless quarks). It is shown how one can get the results for all on-shell limits of interest directly from the general off-shell expression. The corresponding general expressions for the one-loop ghost-gluon vertex are also obtained. They allow for a check of consistency with the Ward--Slavnov--Taylor identity.Comment: 41 pages, LaTex, plus 3 figures in separate file. Misprints (signs) in eqs.(4.26), (C.2), (C.4), (C.5) are corrected. To appear in Phys. Rev.

The generalized cusp in ABJ(M) N = 6 Super Chern-Simons theories

We construct a generalized cusped Wilson loop operator in N = 6 super Chern-Simons-matter theories which is locally invariant under half of the supercharges. It depends on two parameters and interpolates smoothly between the 1/2 BPS line or circle and a pair of antiparallel lines, representing a natural generalization of the quark-antiquark potential in ABJ(M) theories. For particular choices of the parameters we obtain 1/6 BPS configurations that, mapped on S^2 by a conformal transformation, realize a three-dimensional analogue of the wedge DGRT Wilson loop of N = 4. The cusp couples, in addition to the gauge and scalar fields of the theory, also to the fermions in the bifundamental representation of the U(N)xU(M) gauge group and its expectation value is expressed as the holonomy of a suitable superconnection. We discuss the definition of these observables in terms of traces and the role of the boundary conditions of fermions along the loop. We perform a complete two-loop analysis, obtaining an explicit result for the generalized cusp at the second non-trivial order, from which we read off the interaction potential between heavy 1/2 BPS particles in the ABJ(M) model. Our results open the possibility to explore in the three-dimensional case the connection between localization properties and integrability, recently advocated in D = 4.Comment: 53 pages, 10 figures, added references, this is the version appeared on JHE

The infrared structure of gauge theory amplitudes in the high-energy limit

We develop an approach to the high-energy limit of gauge theories based on the universal properties of their infrared singularities. Our main tool is the dipole formula, a compact ansatz for the all-order infrared singularity structure of scattering amplitudes of massless partons. By taking the high-energy limit, we show that the dipole formula implies Reggeization of infrared-singular contributions to the amplitude, at leading logarithmic accuracy, for the exchange of arbitrary color representations in the cross channel. We observe that the real part of the amplitude Reggeizes also at next-to-leading logarithmic order, and we compute the singular part of the two-loop Regge trajectory, which is universally expressed in terms of the cusp anomalous dimension. Our approach provides tools to study the high-energy limit beyond the boundaries of Regge factorization: thus we show that Reggeization generically breaks down at next-to-next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy, and provide a general expression for the leading Reggeization-breaking operator. Our approach applies to multiparticle amplitudes in multi-Regge kinematics, and it also implies new constraints on possible corrections to the dipole formula, based on the Regge limit

Integrable Wilson loops

The generalized quark-antiquark potential of N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory on S^3 x R calculates the potential between a pair of heavy charged particles separated by an arbitrary angle on S^3 and also an angle in flavor space. It can be calculated by a Wilson loop following a prescribed path and couplings, or after a conformal transformation, by a cusped Wilson loop in flat space, hence also generalizing the usual concept of the cusp anomalous dimension. In AdS_5 x S^5 this is calculated by an infinite open string. I present here an open spin-chain model which calculates the spectrum of excitations of such open strings. In the dual gauge theory these are cusped Wilson loops with extra operator insertions at the cusp. The boundaries of the spin-chain introduce a non-trivial reflection phase and break the bulk symmetry down to a single copy of psu(2|2). The dependence on the two angles is captured by the two embeddings of this algebra into \psu(2|2)^2, i.e., by a global rotation. The exact answer to this problem is conjectured to be given by solutions to a set of twisted boundary thermodynamic Bethe ansatz integral equations. In particular the generalized quark-antiquark potential or cusp anomalous dimension is recovered by calculating the ground state energy of the minimal length spin-chain, with no sites. It gets contributions only from virtual particles reflecting off the boundaries. I reproduce from this calculation some known weak coupling perturtbative results.Comment: 40 pages, 11 figures; v2-some formulas corrected, results unchange

Measurement of the angular coefficients in Z-boson events using electron and muon pairs from data taken at √s=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The angular distributions of Drell-Yan charged lepton pairs in the vicinity of the Z-boson mass peak probe the underlying QCD dynamics of Z-boson production. This paper presents a measurement of the complete set of angular coefficients A0−7 describing these distributions in the Z-boson Collins-Soper frame. The data analysed correspond to 20.3 fb−1 of pp collisions at s√=8s=8 TeV, collected by the ATLAS detector at the CERN LHC. The measurements are compared to the most precise fixed-order calculations currently available (O(α2s))(O(αs2)) and with theoretical predictions embedded in Monte Carlo generators. The measurements are precise enough to probe QCD corrections beyond the formal accuracy of these calculations and to provide discrimination between different parton-shower models. A significant deviation from the (O(α2s))(O(αs2)) predictions is observed for A0 − A2. Evidence is found for non-zero A5,6,7, consistent with expectations

QCD and strongly coupled gauge theories : challenges and perspectives

We highlight the progress, current status, and open challenges of QCD-driven physics, in theory and in experiment. We discuss how the strong interaction is intimately connected to a broad sweep of physical problems, in settings ranging from astrophysics and cosmology to strongly coupled, complex systems in particle and condensed-matter physics, as well as to searches for physics beyond the Standard Model. We also discuss how success in describing the strong interaction impacts other fields, and, in turn, how such subjects can impact studies of the strong interaction. In the course of the work we offer a perspective on the many research streams which flow into and out of QCD, as well as a vision for future developments.Peer reviewe

Measurements of the W production cross sections in association with jets with the ATLAS detector

This paper presents cross sections for the production of a W boson in association with jets, measured in proton–proton collisions at √s=7 TeV with the ATLAS experiment at the large hadron collider. With an integrated luminosity of 4.6 fb−1, this data set allows for an exploration of a large kinematic range, including jet production up to a transverse momentum of 1 TeV and multiplicities up to seven associated jets. The production cross sections for W bosons are measured in both the electron and muon decay channels. Differential cross sections for many observables are also presented including measurements of the jet observables such as the rapidities and the transverse momenta as well as measurements of event observables such as the scalar sums of the transverse momenta of the jets. The measurements are compared to numerous QCD predictions including next-to-leading-order perturbative calculations, resummation calculations and Monte Carlo generators