Finite element modelling of four edges simply supported steel plate under impact load

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Comparative in silico analysis identifies bona fide MyoD binding sites within the Myocyte Stress 1 gene promoter

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Myocyte stress 1 (MS1) is a striated muscle actin binding protein required for the muscle specific activity of the evolutionary ancient myocardin related transcription factor (MRTF)/serum response factor (SRF) transcriptional pathway. To date, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that govern skeletal muscle specific expression of MS1. Such mechanisms are likely to play a major role in modulating SRF activity and therefore muscle determination, differentiation and regeneration. In this study we employed a comparative <it>in silico </it>analysis coupled with an experimental promoter characterisation to delineate these mechanisms.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Analysis of MS1 expression in differentiating C2C12 muscle cells demonstrated a temporal differentiation dependent up-regulation in <it>ms1 </it>mRNA. An <it>in silico </it>comparative sequence analysis identified two conserved putative myogenic regulatory domains within the proximal 1.5 kbp of 5' upstream sequence. Co-transfecting C2C12 myoblasts with <it>ms1 </it>promoter/luciferase reporters and myogenic regulatory factor (MRF) over-expression plasmids revealed specific sensitivity of the <it>ms1 </it>promoter to MyoD. Subsequent mutagenesis and EMSA analysis demonstrated specific targeting of MyoD at two distinct E-Boxes (E1 and E2) within identified evolutionary conserved regions (ECRs, α and β). Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) analysis indicates that co-ordinated binding of MyoD at E-Boxes located within ECRs α and β correlates with the temporal induction in <it>ms1 </it>mRNA.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These findings suggest that the tissue specific and differentiation dependent up-regulation in <it>ms1 </it>mRNA is mediated by temporal binding of MyoD at distinct evolutionary conserved E-Boxes within the <it>ms1 </it>5' upstream sequence. We believe, through its activation of <it>ms1</it>, this is the first study to demonstrate a direct link between MyoD activity and SRF transcriptional signalling, with clear implications for the understanding of muscle determination, differentiation and regeneration.</p

Job Shop Material Control Based on the Principles of Quick Response Manufacturing

Today cutting-edge companies will capitalize on time as a key driver of competitive advantage. Although the Paired-cell Overlapping Loops of Cards with Authorization (POLCA) of Quick Response Manufacturing (QRM) is universally adopted as a material control mechanism in the shop floor, this paper is exploring its other principle. The newly thought approach, Utilization Based (UB) system is driving a whole new ways of controlling material flow in the production with the emphasis on operate the factory at optimum machine utilization. A simulation study was conducted to compare the POLCA and UB system. The deterministic metrics such as Manufacturing Critical-path Time (MCT), Throughputs (TP), Work in Progress (WIP) show that UB system is a viable alternative especially in the job shop environment with process layout. However, this method involves subcontracting in order to maximize output and minimize waiting time. The simulation study fulfilled the objectives of evaluating two different systems using the same set of inputs. The related performance measures prove the UB approach is as feasible as POLCA adopted in the job shop environment with some outperforming results

SUSY-QCD Effect on Top-Charm Associated Production at Linear Collider

We evaluate the contribution of SUSY-QCD to top-charm associated production at next generation linear colliders. Our results show that the production cross section of the process $e^+e^-\to t\bar c{or}\bar t c$ could be as large as 0.1 fb, which is larger than the prediction of the SM by a factor of $10^8$.Comment: version to appear in PR

Factors that hinder organ donation: religio-cultural or lack of information and trust

Objectives: This paper examines factors that influence Malaysian persons with a tertiary level of education on their willingness to donate organs. Materials and Methods: A survey was done in the Klang Valley (Kuala Lumpur and its suburbs) at several designated locations. A total of 1420 people were approached, and we focused the sample of 688 respondents with a tertiary level of education. Respondents were given 2 sets of answers: (1) a religio-cultural category and (2) a structural category. They were allowed to choose more than 1 reason. Results: Our findings revealed that only 47.5 percent of respondents declined becoming organ donors. The highest frequency recorded was "I am not convinced that my body part will be used beneficially" (30.1), followed by "I do not have enough access to information" (292), "I want my body to remain intact after death" (16.9), and "It is against my religion" (9.9). Conclusions: Our study revealed that religio-cultural factors are not a prime explanation for the lack of organ donation in the Malaysian case. This study suggests that better procurement methods used by dedicated agencies, as well as better education, could reduce the shortage between organ supply and demand

Supersymmetric Electroweak Corrections to Charged Higgs Boson Production in Association with a Top Quark at Hadron Colliders

We calculate the $O(\alpha_{ew}m_{t(b)}^{2}/m_{W}^{2})$ and $O(\alpha_{ew} m_{t(b)}^4/m_W^4)$ supersymmetric electroweak corrections to the cross section for the charged Higgs boson production in association with a top quark at the Tevatron and the LHC. These corrections arise from the quantum effects which are induced by potentially large Yukawa couplings from the Higgs sector and the chargino-top(bottom)-sbottom(stop) couplings, neutralino-top(bottom)-stop(sbottom) couplings and charged Higgs-stop-sbottom couplings. They can decrease or increase the cross section depending on $\tan\beta$ but are not very sensitive to the mass of the charged Higgs boson for high $\tan\beta$. At low $\tan\beta(=2)$ the corrections decrease the total cross sections significantly, which exceed -12% for $m_{H^{\pm}}$ below $300GeV$ at both the Tevatron and the LHC, but for $m_{H^{\pm}}>300GeV$ the corrections can become very small at the LHC. For high $\tan\beta(=10,30)$ these corrections can decrease or increase the total cross sections, and the magnitude of the corrections are at most a few percent at both the Tevatron and the LHC.Comment: 28 pages including 4 eps figure

Moyal Representation of the String Field Star Product in the Presence of a B-background

In this paper we show that in the presence of an anti-symmetric tensor $B$-background, Witten's star algebra for open string fields persists to possess the structure of a direct product of commuting Moyal pairs. The interplay between the noncommutativity due to three-string overlap and that due to the $B$-background is our main concern. In each pair of noncommutative directions parallel to the $B$-background, the Moyal pairs mix string modes in the two directions and are labeled, in addition to a continuous parameter, by {\it two} discrete values as well. However, the Moyal parameters are $B$-dependent only for discrete pairs. We have also demonstrated the large-$B$ contraction of the star algebra, with one of the discrete Moyal pairs dropping out while the other giving rise to the center-of-mass noncommutative function algebra.Comment: minor notation chang

Comparison of s- and d-wave gap symmetry in nonequilibrium superconductivity

Recent application of ultrafast pump/probe optical techniques to superconductors has renewed interest in nonequilibrium superconductivity and the predictions that would be available for novel superconductors, such as the high-Tc cuprates. We have reexamined two of the classical models which have been used in the past to interpret nonequilibrium experiments with some success: the mu* model of Owen and Scalapino and the T* model of Parker. Predictions depend on pairing symmetry. For instance, the gap suppression due to excess quasiparticle density n in the mu* model, varies as n^{3/2} in d-wave as opposed to n for s-wave. Finally, we consider these models in the context of S-I-N tunneling and optical excitation experiments. While we confirm that recent pump/probe experiments in YBCO, as presently interpreted, are in conflict with d-wave pairing, we refute the further claim that they agree with s-wave.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figure

Benefits and limitations of implementing Chronic Care Model (CCM) in primary care programs: a systematic review

Background: Chronic Care Model (CCM) has been developed to improve patients' health care by restructuring health systems in a multidimensional manner. This systematic review aims to summarize and analyse programs specifically designed and conducted for the fulfilment of multiple CCM components. We have focused on programs targeting diabetes mellitus, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Method and results: This review was based on a comprehensive literature search of articles in the PubMed database that reported clinical outcomes. We included a total of 25 eligible articles. Evidence of improvement in medical outcomes and the compliance of patients with medical treatment were reported in 18 and 14 studies, respectively. Two studies demonstrated a reduction of the medical burden in terms of health service utilization, and another two studies reported the effectiveness of the programs in reducing the risk of heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases. However, CCMs were still restricted by limited academic robustness and social constraints when they were implemented in primary care. Higher professional recognition, tighter system collaborations and increased financial support may be necessary to overcome the limitations of, and barriers to CCM implementation. Conclusion: This review has identified the benefits of implementing CCM, and recommended suggestions for the future development of CCM

Charm multiplicity and the branching ratios of inclusive charmless b quark decays in the general two-Higgs-doublet models

In the framework of general two-Higgs-doublet models, we calculate the branching ratios of various inclusive charmless b decays by using the low energy effective Hamiltonian including next-to-leading order QCD corrections, and examine the current status and the new physics effects on the determination of the charm multiplicity $n_c$ and semileptonic branching ratio $B_{SL}$. Within the considered parameter space, the enhancement to the ratio $BR(b \to s g)$ due to the charged-Higgs penguins can be as large as a factor of 8 (3) in the model III (II), while the ratio $BR(b \to no charm)$ can be increased from the standard model prediction of 2.49% to 4.91% (2.99%) in the model III (II). Consequently, the value of $B_{SL}$ and $n_c$ can be decreased simultaneously in the model III. The central value of $B_{SL}$ will be lowered slightly by about 0.003, but the ratio $n_c$ can be reduced significantly from the theoretical prediction of $n_c= 1.28 \pm 0.05$ in the SM to $n_c= 1.23 \pm 0.05$, $1.18 \pm 0.05$ for $m_{H^+}=200, 100$ GeV, respectively. We find that the predicted $n_c$ and the measured $n_c$ now agree within roughly one standard deviation after taking into account the effects of gluonic charged Higgs penguins in the model III with a relatively light charged Higgs boson.Comment: 25 pages, Latex file, axodraw.sty, 6 figures. Final version to be published in Phys.Rev.