2,051 research outputs found
Dark spinor models in gravitation and cosmology
We introduce and carefully define an entire class of field theories based on
non-standard spinors. Their dominant interaction is via the gravitational field
which makes them naturally dark; we refer to them as Dark Spinors. We provide a
critical analysis of previous proposals for dark spinors noting that they
violate Lorentz invariance. As a working assumption we restrict our analysis to
non-standard spinors which preserve Lorentz invariance, whilst being non-local
and explicitly construct such a theory. We construct the complete
energy-momentum tensor and derive its components explicitly by assuming a
specific projection operator. It is natural to next consider dark spinors in a
cosmological setting. We find various interesting solutions where the spinor
field leads to slow roll and fast roll de Sitter solutions. We also analyse
models where the spinor is coupled conformally to gravity, and consider the
perturbations and stability of the spinor.Comment: 43 pages. Several new sections and details added. JHEP in prin
Alemtuzumab pre-conditioning with tacrolimus monotherapy in pediatric renal transplantation
We employed antibody pre-conditioning with alemtuzumab and posttransplant immunosuppression with low-dose tacrolimus monotherapy in 26 consecutive pediatric kidney transplant recipients between January 2004 and December 2005. Mean recipient age was 10.7 ± 5.8 years, 7.7% were undergoing retransplantation, and 3.8% were sensitized, with a PRA >20%. Mean donor age was 32.8 ± 9.2 years. Living donors were utilized in 65% of the transplants. Mean cold ischemia time was 27.6 ± 6.4 h. The mean number of HLA mismatches was 3.3 ± 1.3. Mean follow-up was 25 ± 8 months. One and 2 year patient survival was 100% and 96%. One and 2 year graft survival was 96% and 88%. Mean serum creatinine was 1.1 ± 0.6 mg/dL, and calculated creatinine clearance was 82.3 ± 29.4 mL/min/1.73 m 2. The incidence of pre-weaning acute rejection was 11.5%; the incidence of delayed graft function was 7.7%. Eighteen (69%) of the children were tapered to spaced tacrolimus monotherapy, 10.5 ± 2.2 months after transplantation. The incidence of CMV, PTLD and BK virus was 0%; the incidence of posttransplant diabetes was 7.7%. Although more follow-up is clearly needed, antibody pre-conditioning with alemtuzumab and tacrolimus monotherapy may be a safe and effective regimen in pediatric renal transplantation. © 2007 The Authors
Transformation and regeneration of the holoparasitic plant Phelipanche aegyptiaca
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Transformation and subsequent regeneration of holoparasitic plants has never been reported, in part due to challenges in developing transformation protocols, but also because regeneration of obligate parasites is difficult since their survival depends completely on successful haustorium penetration of a host and the formation of vascular connections. The recent completion of a massive transcriptome sequencing project (the Parasitic Plant Genome Project) will fuel the use of genomic tools for studies on parasitic plants. A reliable system for holoparasite transformation is needed to realize the full value of this resource for reverse genetics and functional genomics studies.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Here we demonstrate that transformation of <it>Phelipanche aegyptiaca </it>is achieved by infection of 3 month-old <it>in vitro </it>grown <it>P. aegyptiaca </it>calli with <it>Agrobacterium rhizogenes </it>harboring the yellow fluorescent protein (YFP). Four months later, YFP-positive regenerated calli were inoculated onto tomato plants growing in a minirhizotron system. Eight days after inoculation, transgenic parasite tissue formed lateral haustoria that penetrated the host and could be visualized under UV illumination through intact host root tissue. YFP-positive shoot buds were observed one month after inoculation.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This work constitutes a breakthrough in holoparasitic plant research methods. The method described here is a robust system for transformation and regeneration of a holoparasitic plant and will facilitate research on unique parasitic plant capabilities such as host plant recognition, haustorial formation, penetration and vascular connection.</p
Probable detection of starlight reflected from the giant exoplanet orbiting tau Bootis
Giant planets orbiting stars other than the Sun are clearly detectable
through precise radial-velocity measurements of the orbital reflex motion of
the parent star. In the four years since the discovery of the companion to the
star 51 Peg, similar low-amplitude ``Doppler star wobbles'' have revealed the
presence of some 20 planets orbiting nearby solar-type stars. Several of these
newly-discovered planets are very close to their parent stars, in orbits with
periods of only a few days. Being an indirect technique, however, the
reflex-velocity method has little to say about the sizes or compositions of the
planets, and can only place lower limits on their masses. Here we report the
use of high-resolution optical spectroscopy to achieve a probable detection of
the Doppler-shifted signature of starlight reflected from one of these objects,
the giant exoplanet orbiting the star tau Bootis. Our data give the planet's
orbital inclination i=29 degrees, indicating that its mass is some 8 times that
of Jupiter, and suggest strongly that the planet has the size and reflectivity
expected for a gas-giant planet.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures. (Fig 1 and equation for epsilon on p1 para 2
revised; changed from double to single spacing
Early respiratory viral infections in infants with cystic fibrosis
This article is made available for unrestricted research re-use and secondary analysis in any form or by any means with acknowledgement of the original source. These permissions are granted for the duration of the World Health Organization (WHO) declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic.Background
Viral infections contribute to morbidity in cystic fibrosis (CF), but the impact of respiratory viruses on the development of airway disease is poorly understood.
Methods
Infants with CF identified by newborn screening were enrolled prior to 4 months of age to participate in a prospective observational study at 4 centers. Clinical data were collected at clinic visits and weekly phone calls. Multiplex PCR assays were performed on nasopharyngeal swabs to detect respiratory viruses during routine visits and when symptomatic. Participants underwent bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and a subset underwent pulmonary function testing. We present findings through 8.5 months of life.
Results
Seventy infants were enrolled, mean age 3.1 ± 0.8 months. Rhinovirus was the most prevalent virus (66%), followed by parainfluenza (19%), and coronavirus (16%). Participants had a median of 1.5 viral positive swabs (range 0–10). Past viral infection was associated with elevated neutrophil concentrations and bacterial isolates in BAL fluid, including recovery of classic CF bacterial pathogens. When antibiotics were prescribed for respiratory-related indications, viruses were identified in 52% of those instances.
Conclusions
Early viral infections were associated with greater neutrophilic inflammation and bacterial pathogens. Early viral infections appear to contribute to initiation of lower airway inflammation in infants with CF. Antibiotics were commonly prescribed in the setting of a viral infection. Future investigations examining longitudinal relationships between viral infections, airway microbiome, and antibiotic use will allow us to elucidate the interplay between these factors in young children with CF
Raising argument strength using negative evidence: A constraint on models of induction
Both intuitively, and according to similarity-based theories of induction, relevant evidence raises argument strength when it is positive and lowers it when it is negative. In three experiments, we tested the hypothesis that argument strength can actually increase when negative evidence is introduced. Two kinds of argument were compared through forced choice or sequential evaluation: single positive arguments (e.g., “Shostakovich’s music causes alpha waves in the brain; therefore, Bach’s music causes alpha waves in the brain”) and double mixed arguments (e.g., “Shostakovich’s music causes alpha waves in the brain, X’s music DOES NOT; therefore, Bach’s music causes alpha waves in the brain”). Negative evidence in the second premise lowered credence when it applied to an item X from the same subcategory (e.g., Haydn) and raised it when it applied to a different subcategory (e.g., AC/DC). The results constitute a new constraint on models of induction
Supersymmetric particle mass measurement with the boost-corrected contransverse mass
A modification to the contransverse mass (MCT) technique for measuring the
masses of pair-produced semi-invisibly decaying heavy particles is proposed in
which MCT is corrected for non-zero boosts of the centre-of-momentum (CoM)
frame of the heavy states in the laboratory transverse plane. Lack of knowledge
of the mass of the CoM frame prevents exact correction for this boost, however
it is shown that a conservative correction can nevertheless be derived which
always generates an MCT value which is less than or equal to the true value of
MCT in the CoM frame. The new technique is demonstrated with case studies of
mass measurement with fully leptonic ttbar events and with SUSY events
possessing a similar final state.Comment: 33 pages, 33 .eps figures, JHEP3 styl
Safety and efficacy of fluticasone propionate in the topical treatment of skin diseases
Fluticasone propionate - the first carbothioate corticosteroid - has been classified as a potent anti-inflammatory drug for dermatological use. It is available as 0.05% cream and 0.005% ointment formulations for the acute and maintenance treatment of patients with dermatological disorders such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and vitiligo. This glucocorticoid is characterized by high lipophilicity, high glucocorticoid receptor binding and activation, and a rapid metabolic turnover in skin. Although skin blanching following fluticasone propionate exceeds that of corticosteroids of medium strength, several clinical trials demonstrate a low potential for cutaneous and systemic side-effects, even in difficult-to-treat areas like the face, the eyelids and intertriginous areas. Even among paediatric patients with atopic dermatitis, fluticasone propionate proved to be safe and effective. These pharmacological and clinical properties are reflected by the high therapeutic index of this glucocorticoid
Constructing near-horizon geometries in supergravities with hidden symmetry
We consider the classification of near-horizon geometries in a general
two-derivative theory of gravity coupled to abelian gauge fields and uncharged
scalars in four and five dimensions, with one and two commuting rotational
symmetries respectively. Assuming that the theory of gravity reduces to a 3d
non-linear sigma model (as is typically the case for ungauged supergravities),
we show that the functional form of any such near-horizon geometry may be
determined. As an example we apply this to five dimensional minimal
supergravity. We also construct an example of a five parameter near-horizon
geometry solution to this theory with S^1 X S^2 horizon topology. We discuss
its relation to the near-horizon geometries of the yet to be constructed
extremal black rings with both electric and dipole charges.Comment: Latex, 30 pages. v2: discussion in section 5 modified and improved,
other minor changes, references adde
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