Chiral symmetry breaking and stability of strangelets

We discuss the stability of strangelets by considering dynamical chiral symmetry breaking and confinement. We use a $U(3)_{L} \times U(3)_{R}$ symmetric Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model for chiral symmetry breaking supplemented by a boundary condition for confinement. It is shown that strangelets with baryon number $A < 2 \times 10^{3}$ can stably exist. For the observables, we obtain the masses and the charge-to-baryon number ratios of the strangelets. These quantities are compared with the observed data of the exotic particles.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, submitted to Physical Review

Can cosmic strangelets reach the earth?

The mechanism for the propagation of strangelets with low baryon number through the atmosphere of the Earth has been explored. It has been shown that under suitable initial conditions, such strangelets may indeed reach depths near mountain altitudes with mass numbers and charges close to the observed values in cosmic ray experiments.Comment: RevTeX text, with 3 encoded eps figures. To appear in Physical Review Letter

Time-reversal method and cross-correlation techniques by normal mode theory: a three-point problem

International audienceSince its beginning in acoustics, the Time-Reversal method (hereafter referred as TR) has been explored by different studies to locate and characterize seismic sources in elastic media. But few authors have proposed an analytical analysis of the method, especially in the case of an elastic medium and for a finite body such as the Earth. In this paper, we use a normal mode approach (for general 3-D case and degenerate modes in 1-D reference model) to investigate the convergence properties of the TR method. We first investigate a three-point problem, with two fixed points which are the source and the receiver and a third one corresponding to a changing observation point. We extend the problem of a single channel TR experiment to a multiple channel and multiple station TR experiment. We show as well how this problem relates to the retrieval of Green's function with a multiple source cross-correlation and also the differences between TR method and cross-correlation techniques. Since most of the noise sources are located close to the surface of the Earth, we show that the time derivative of the cross-correlation of long-period seismograms with multiple sources at the surface is different from the Green's function. Next, we show the importance of a correct surface-area weighting of the signal resent by the stations according to a Voronoi tessellation of the Earth surface. We use arguments based on the stationary phase approximation to argue that phase-information is more important than amplitude information for getting a good focusing in TR experiment. Finally, by using linear relationships between the time-reversed displacement (resp. strain wavefields) and the components of a vector force source (resp. a moment tensor source), we show how to retrieve force (or moment tensor components) of any long period tectonic or environmental sources by time reversal

Involvement of mast cells in monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension in rats

Background: Mast cells (MCs) are implicated in inflammation and tissue remodeling. Accumulation of lung MCs is described in pulmonary hypertension (PH); however, whether MC degranulation and c-kit, a tyrosine kinase receptor critically involved in MC biology, contribute to the pathogenesis and progression of PH has not been fully explored.Methods: Pulmonary MCs of idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) patients and monocrotaline-injected rats (MCT-rats) were examined by histochemistry and morphometry. Effects of the specific c-kit inhibitor PLX and MC stabilizer cromolyn sodium salt (CSS) were investigated in MCT-rats both by the preventive and therapeutic approaches. Hemodynamic and right ventricular hypertrophy measurements, pulmonary vascular morphometry and analysis of pulmonary MC localization/counts/activation were performed in animal model studies.Results: There was a prevalence of pulmonary MCs in IPAH patients and MCT-rats as compared to the donors and healthy rats, respectively. Notably, the perivascular MCs were increased and a majority of them were degranulated in lungs of IPAH patients and MCT-rats (p < 0.05 versus donor and control, respectively). In MCT-rats, the pharmacological inhibitions of MC degranulation and c-kit with CSS and PLX, respectively by a preventive approach (treatment from day 1 to 21 of MCT-injection) significantly attenuated right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) and right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH). Moreover, vascular remodeling, as evident from the significantly decreased muscularization and medial wall thickness of distal pulmonary vessels, was improved. However, treatments with CSS and PLX by a therapeutic approach (from day 21 to 35 of MCT-injection) neither improved hemodynamics and RVH nor vascular remodeling.Conclusions: The accumulation and activation of perivascular MCs in the lungs are the histopathological features present in clinical (IPAH patients) and experimental (MCT-rats) PH. Moreover, the accumulation and activation of MCs in the lungs contribute to the development of PH in MCT-rats. Our findings reveal an important pathophysiological insight into the role of MCs in the pathogenesis of PH in MCT- rats

Genetic and Proteomic Approaches to Identify Cancer Drug Targets

While target-based small-molecule discovery has taken centre-stage in the pharmaceutical industry, there are many cancer-promoting proteins not easily addressed with a traditional target-based screening approach. In order to address this problem, as well as to identify modulators of biological states in the absence of knowing the protein target of the state switch, alternative phenotypic screening approaches, such as gene expression-based and high-content imaging, have been developed. With this renewed interest in phenotypic screening, however, comes the challenge of identifying the binding protein target(s) of small-molecule hits. Emerging technologies have the potential to improve the process of target identification. In this review, we discuss the application of genomic (gene expression-based), genetic (short hairpin RNA and open reading frame screening), and proteomic approaches to protein target identification

RNAi-mediated silencing of the myo-inositol-1-phosphate synthase gene (GmMIPS1) in transgenic soybean inhibited seed development and reduced phytate content.

Made available in DSpace on 2018-05-31T00:34:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ID273951.pdf: 364152 bytes, checksum: c18c2d707c0c7df8f411b9f94605a2c3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-10-1

Recent developments in European and international welfare regulations

The Protocol on Animal Welfare annexed to the EC Treaty in 1999 obliges the European Institutions to fully consider animal welfare in the drafting and implementation of Community legislation. The reform of the common agricultural policies (CAP) foreseen by Agenda 2000 follows the trend of more market oriented measures decoupling subsidies from production. Farming is seen as fundamental to other key societal goals such as food safety and quality, animal welfare, rural development, sustainability etc. Over the years, recommendations of the Council of Europe and EU Directives specifically concerning farm animal welfare were developed and these are becoming increasingly stringent. European regulations relevant for poultry include Directives on the housing of laying hens, transport and slaughter. Recently, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) identified animal welfare as a high priority for the coming years. Actions include the development of internationally applicable guiding principles and standards for good animal welfare practice. Animal welfare is an issue of increasing significance for European consumers and citizens. Since the consumer is the end-user, his or her requirements form the bottom-line for any effort intended to achieve the ultimate fine-tuning necessary to assure societal and economic sustainability of agri- and food-chains (`from farn to fork¿). This means that efforts to inform the consumers and to address their concerns about animal welfare need to be at the forefront of policy and industry agendas

Aggregation of measures to produce an overall assessment of animal welfare. Part 1: a review of existing methods

Several systems have been proposed for the overall assessment of animal welfare at the farm level for the purpose of advising farmers or assisting public decision-making. They are generally based on several measures compounded into a single evaluation, using different rules to assemble the information. Here we discuss the different methods used to aggregate welfare measures and their applicability to certification schemes involving welfare. Data obtained on a farm can be (i) analysed by an expert who draws an overall conclusion; (ii) compared with minimal requirements set for each measure; (iii) converted into ranks, which are then summed; or (iv) converted into values or scores compounded in a weighted sum (e.g. TGI35L) or using ad hoc rules. Existing methods used at present (at least when used exclusively) may be insufficiently sensitive or not routinely applicable, or may not reflect the multidimensional nature of welfare and the relative importance of various welfare measures. It is concluded that different methods may be used at different stages of the construction of an overall assessment of animal welfare, depending on the constraints imposed on the aggregation proces