Do we understand the unquenched value of fB?

I review our qualitative understanding of the increase in the value of the B meson decay constant (fB), when dynamical fermions are included in lattice QCD calculations.Comment: 4 pages. Talk at UK Phenomenology Workshop on Heavy Flavour and CP Violation, Durham, 17 - 22 September 2000 (Minor typo fixed

Exposure and impact of a mass media campaign targeting sexual health amongst Scottish men who have sex with men: an outcome evaluation

Background: This paper explores the exposure and impact of a Scottish mass media campaign: Make Your Position Clear. It ran from October 2009 to July 2010, targeted gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM), and had two key aims: to promote regular sexual health and HIV testing every 6 months, and to promote the use of appropriate condoms and water-based lubricant with each episode of anal intercourse. Methods: A cross-sectional survey (anonymous and self-report) was conducted 10 months after the campaign was launched (July 2010). Men were recruited from commercial venues. Outcome measures included use of lubricant, testing for sexually transmitted infections and HIV, and intentions to seek HIV testing within the following six months. Linear-by-linear chi-square analysis and binary logistic regressions were conducted to explore the associations between the outcome measures and campaign exposure. Results: The total sample was 822 men (62.6% response rate). Men self-identifying as HIV positive were excluded from the analysis (n = 38). Binary logistic analysis indicated that those with mid or high campaign exposure were more likely to have been tested for HIV in the previous six months when adjusted for age, area of residence and use of the “gay scene” (AOR = 1.96, 95% CI = 1.26 to 3.06, p = .003), but were not more likely to be tested for STIs (AOR = 1.37, 95% CI = 0.88 to 2.16, p = .167). When adjusted for previous HIV testing, those with mid or high campaign exposure were not more likely to indicate intention to be tested for HIV in the following six months (AOR = 1.30, 95% CI = 0.73 to 2.32, p = .367). Those with no campaign exposure were less likely than those with low exposure to have used appropriate lubricant with anal sex partners in the previous year (AOR = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.23 to 0.77, p = .005). Conclusions: The campaign had demonstrable reach. The analysis showed partial support for the role of mass media campaigns in improving sexual health outcomes. This suggests that a role for mass media campaigns remains within combination HIV prevention

The psychological-type profile of clergywomen in ordained local ministry in the Church of England : pioneers or custodians?

This study employs psychological-type theory to compare the psychological profile of 144 clergywomen serving in ordained local ministry in the Church of England alongside the established profile of 237 professional mobile clergywomen serving in the Church of England published by Francis, Craig, Whinney, Tilley, and Slater. The data found no significant differences between these two groups of clergywomen in terms of orientations (introversion and extraversion) or in terms of the judging process (thinking and feeling). In terms of the perceiving process, there was a significantly higher proportion of sensing types among those serving in ordained local ministry (70% compared with 35%). In terms of the attitudes, there was a significantly higher proportion of judging types among those serving in ordained local ministry (83% compared with 65%). The combined sensing judging (SJ) temperament accounted for 65% of the clergywomen serving in ordained local ministry, compared with 29% of the clergywomen serving in professional mobile ministry in the earlier study. It is argued that the SJ temperament characterises a custodian style of ministry

Color & Weak triplet scalars, the dimuon asymmetry in BsB_s decay, the top forward-backward asymmetry, and the CDF dijet excess

The new physics required to explain the anomalies recently reported by the D0 and CDF collaborations, namely the top forward-backward asymmetry (FBA), the like-sign dimuon charge asymmetry in semileptonic b decay, and the CDF dijet excess, has to feature an amount of flavor symmetry in order to satisfy the severe constrains arising from flavor violation. In this paper we show that, once baryon number conservation is imposed, color & weak triplet scalars with hypercharge $Y=1/3$ can feature the required flavor structure as a consequence of standard model gauge invariance. The color & weak triplet model can simultaneously explain the top FBA and the dimuon charge asymmetry or the dimuon charge asymmetry and the CDF dijet excess. However, the CDF dijet excess appears to be incompatible with the top FBA in the minimal framework. Our model for the dimuon asymmetry predicts the observed pattern $h_d\ll h_s$ in the region of parameter space required to explain the top FBA, whereas our model for the CDF dijet anomaly is characterized by the absence of beyond the SM b-quark jets in the excess region. Compatibility of the color & weak triplet with the electroweak constraints is also discussed. We show that a Higgs boson mass exceeding the LEP bound is typically favored in this scenario, and that both Higgs production and decay can be significantly altered by the triplet. The most promising collider signature is found if the splitting among the components of the triplet is of weak scale magnitude.Comment: references added, published versio

Lee Silverman Voice Treatment versus standard speech and language therapy versus control in Parkinson’s disease: a pilot randomised controlled trial (PD COMM pilot)

Background: Speech-related problems are common in Parkinson’s disease (PD), but there is little evidence for the effectiveness of standard speech and language therapy (SLT) or Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT LOUD®). Methods: The PD COMM pilot was a three-arm, assessor-blinded, randomised controlled trial (RCT) of LSVT LOUD®, SLT and no intervention (1:1:1 ratio) to assess the feasibility and to inform the design of a full-scale RCT. Non-demented patients with idiopathic PD and speech problems and no SLT for speech problems in the past 2 years were eligible. LSVT LOUD® is a standardised regime (16 sessions over 4 weeks). SLT comprised individualised content per local practice (typically weekly sessions for 6–8 weeks). Outcomes included recruitment and retention, treatment adherence, and data completeness. Outcome data collected at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months included patient-reported voice and quality of life measures, resource use, and assessor-rated speech recordings. Results: Eighty-nine patients were randomised with 90% in the therapy groups and 100% in the control group completing the trial. The response rate for Voice Handicap Index (VHI) in each arm was ≥ 90% at all time-points. VHI was highly correlated with the other speech-related outcome measures. There was a trend to improvement in VHI with LSVT LOUD® (difference at 3 months compared with control: − 12.5 points; 95% CI − 26.2, 1.2) and SLT (difference at 3 months compared with control: − 9.8 points; 95% CI − 23.2, 3.7) which needs to be confirmed in an adequately powered trial. Conclusion: Randomisation to a three-arm trial of speech therapy including a no intervention control is feasible and acceptable. Compliance with both interventions was good. VHI and other patient-reported outcomes were relevant measures and provided data to inform the sample size for a substantive trial

The Suppressor of AAC2 Lethality SAL1 Modulates Sensitivity of Heterologously Expressed Artemia ADP/ATP Carrier to Bongkrekate in Yeast

The ADP/ATP carrier protein (AAC) expressed in Artemia franciscana is refractory to bongkrekate. We generated two strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae where AAC1 and AAC3 were inactivated and the AAC2 isoform was replaced with Artemia AAC containing a hemagglutinin tag (ArAAC-HA). In one of the strains the suppressor of ΔAAC2 lethality, SAL1, was also inactivated but a plasmid coding for yeast AAC2 was included, because the ArAACΔsal1Δ strain was lethal. In both strains ArAAC-HA was expressed and correctly localized to the mitochondria. Peptide sequencing of ArAAC expressed in Artemia and that expressed in the modified yeasts revealed identical amino acid sequences. The isolated mitochondria from both modified strains developed 85% of the membrane potential attained by mitochondria of control strains, and addition of ADP yielded bongkrekate-sensitive depolarizations implying acquired sensitivity of ArAAC-mediated adenine nucleotide exchange to this poison, independent from SAL1. However, growth of ArAAC-expressing yeasts in glycerol-containing media was arrested by bongkrekate only in the presence of SAL1. We conclude that the mitochondrial environment of yeasts relying on respiratory growth conferred sensitivity of ArAAC to bongkrekate in a SAL1-dependent manner. © 2013 Wysocka-Kapcinska et al

Eosinophilic myocarditis mimicking acute coronary syndrome secondary to idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Eosinophilic myocarditis is a rare form of myocarditis. It is characterized pathologically by diffuse or focal myocardial inflammation with eosinophilic infiltration, often in association with peripheral blood eosinophilia. We report a case of eosinophilic myocarditis secondary to hypereosinophilic syndrome.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 74-year-old Caucasian woman with a history of asthma, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, stroke and coronary artery disease presented to the emergency department of our hospital with chest pain. Evaluations revealed that she had peripheral blood eosinophilia and elevated cardiac enzymes. Electrocardiographic findings were nonspecific. Her electrocardiographic finding and elevated cardiac enzymes pointed to a non-ST-elevated myocardial infarction. Echocardiogram showed a severe decrease in the left ventricular systolic function. Coronary angiogram showed nonobstructive coronary artery disease. She then underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, which showed neither infiltrative myocardial diseases nor any evidence of infarction. This was followed by an endomyocardial biopsy which was consistent with eosinophilic myocarditis. Hematologic workup regarding her eosinophilia was consistent with hypereosinophilic syndrome. After being started on steroid therapy, her peripheral eosinophilia resolved and her symptoms improved. Her left ventricular ejection fraction, however, did not improve.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Eosinophilic myocarditis can present like an acute myocardial infarction and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome in patients with a history of allergy, asthma or acute reduction of the left ventricular function with or without peripheral eosinophilia.</p