45 research outputs found
Decay Widths of X(1835) as Nucleon-Antinucleon Bound State
Partial decay widths of various decay channels of the X(1835) are evaluated
in the 3P0 quark model, assuming that the X(1835) is a nucleon-antinucleon
bound state. It is found that the decays to rho+rho, omega+omega and
pion+a0(1450) dominate over other channels, and that the product branching
fractions of J/psi to pion+pion+eta and J/psi to pion+pion+eta' are in the same
order. We suggest that the X(1835) may be searched in the pion+a0(1450)
channel.Comment: Changed X(1850) to X(1835) in Abstrac
Combined large-N_c and heavy-quark operator analysis for the chiral Lagrangian with charmed baryons
The chiral Lagrangian with charmed baryons of spin and
is analyzed. We consider all counter terms that are relevant at
next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order (NLO) in a chiral extrapolation of
the charmed baryon masses. At NLO we find 16 low-energy parameters. There
are 3 mass parameters for the anti-triplet and the two sextet baryons, 6
parameters describing the meson-baryon vertices and 7 symmetry breaking
parameters. The heavy-quark spin symmetry predicts four sum rules for the
meson-baryon vertices and degenerate masses for the two baryon sextet fields.
Here a large- operator analysis at NLO suggests the relevance of one
further spin-symmetry breaking parameter. Going from NLO to NLO adds 17
chiral symmetry breaking parameters and 24 symmetry preserving parameters. For
the leading symmetry conserving two-body counter terms involving two baryon
fields and two Goldstone boson fields we find 36 terms. While the heavy-quark
spin symmetry leads to sum rules, an expansion in at
next-to-leading order (NLO) generates parameter relations. A
combined expansion leaves 3 unknown parameters only. For the symmetry breaking
counter terms we find 17 terms, for which there are sum rules from the
heavy-quark spin symmetry and sum rules from a expansion at
NLO.Comment: 34 pages - one table - corrections applie
Combined large- and heavy-quark operator analysis of 2-body meson-baryon counterterms in the chiral Lagrangian with charmed mesons
The chiral SU(3) Lagrangian with pseudoscalar and vector mesons and with
the octet and decuplet baryons is considered. The leading two-body counter
terms involving two baryon fields and two meson fields are constructed in
the open-charm sector. There are 26 terms. A combined expansion in the inverse
of the charm quark mass and in the inverse of the number of colors provides sum
rules that reduce the number of free parameter down to 5 only. Our result shows
the feasibility of a systematic computation of the open-charm baryon spectrum
based on coupled-channel dynamics.Comment: 19 page
Scalar field exact solutions for non-flat FLRW cosmology: A technique from non-linear Schr\"odinger-type formulation
We report a method of solving for canonical scalar field exact solution in a
non-flat FLRW universe with barotropic fluid using non-linear Schr\"{o}dinger
(NLS)-type formulation in comparison to the method in the standard Friedmann
framework. We consider phantom and non-phantom scalar field cases with
exponential and power-law accelerating expansion. Analysis on effective
equation of state to both cases of expansion is also performed. We speculate
and comment on some advantage and disadvantage of using the NLS formulation in
solving for the exact solution.Comment: 12 pages, GERG format, Reference added. accepted by Gen. Relativ. and
Gra
The Dark Side of a Patchwork Universe
While observational cosmology has recently progressed fast, it revealed a
serious dilemma called dark energy: an unknown source of exotic energy with
negative pressure driving a current accelerating phase of the universe. All
attempts so far to find a convincing theoretical explanation have failed, so
that one of the last hopes is the yet to be developed quantum theory of
gravity. In this article, loop quantum gravity is considered as a candidate,
with an emphasis on properties which might play a role for the dark energy
problem. Its basic feature is the discrete structure of space, often associated
with quantum theories of gravity on general grounds. This gives rise to
well-defined matter Hamiltonian operators and thus sheds light on conceptual
questions related to the cosmological constant problem. It also implies typical
quantum geometry effects which, from a more phenomenological point of view, may
result in dark energy. In particular the latter scenario allows several
non-trivial tests which can be made more precise by detailed observations in
combination with a quantitative study of numerical quantum gravity. If the
speculative possibility of a loop quantum gravitational origin of dark energy
turns out to be realized, a program as outlined here will help to hammer out
our ideas for a quantum theory of gravity, and at the same time allow
predictions for the distant future of our universe.Comment: 24 pages, 2 figures, Contribution to the special issue on Dark Energy
by Gen. Rel. Gra
Absence of system xcâ» on immune cells invading the central nervous system alleviates experimental autoimmune encephalitis
Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune demyelinating disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS), leading to neurodegeneration and chronic disability. Accumulating evidence points to a key role for neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and excitotoxicity in this degenerative process. System x(c)- or the cystine/glutamate antiporter could tie these pathological mechanisms together: its activity is enhanced by reactive oxygen species and inflammatory stimuli, and its enhancement might lead to the release of toxic amounts of glutamate, thereby triggering excitotoxicity and neurodegeneration.
Methods: Semi-quantitative Western blotting served to study protein expression of xCT, the specific subunit of system x(c)-, as well as of regulators of xCT transcription, in the normal appearing white matter (NAWM) of MS patients and in the CNS and spleen of mice exposed to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an accepted mouse model of MS. We next compared the clinical course of the EAE disease, the extent of demyelination, the infiltration of immune cells and microglial activation in xCT-knockout (xCT(-/-)) mice and irradiated mice reconstituted in xCT(-/-) bone marrow (BM), to their proper wild type (xCT(+/+)) controls.
Results: xCT protein expression levels were upregulated in the NAWM of MS patients and in the brain, spinal cord, and spleen of EAE mice. The pathways involved in this upregulation in NAWM of MS patients remain unresolved. Compared to xCT(+/+) mice, xCT(-/-) mice were equally susceptible to EAE, whereas mice transplanted with xCT(-/-) BM, and as such only exhibiting loss of xCT in their immune cells, were less susceptible to EAE. In none of the above-described conditions, demyelination, microglial activation, or infiltration of immune cells were affected.
Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate enhancement of xCT protein expression in MS pathology and suggest that system x(c)- on immune cells invading the CNS participates to EAE. Since a total loss of system x(c)- had no net beneficial effects, these results have important implications for targeting system x(c)- for treatment of MS
Modified gravity and its reconstruction from the universe expansion history
We develop the reconstruction program for the number of modified gravities:
scalar-tensor theory, , and string-inspired, scalar-Gauss-Bonnet
gravity. The known (classical) universe expansion history is used for the
explicit and successful reconstruction of some versions (of special form or
with specific potentials) from all above modified gravities. It is demonstrated
that cosmological sequence of matter dominance, decceleration-acceleration
transition and acceleration era may always emerge as cosmological solutions of
such theory. Moreover, the late-time dark energy FRW universe may have the
approximate or exact CDM form consistent with three years WMAP data.
The principal possibility to extend this reconstruction scheme to include the
radiation dominated era and inflation is briefly mentioned. Finally, it is
indicated how even modified gravity which does not describe the
matter-dominated epoch may have such a solution before acceleration era at the
price of the introduction of compensating dark energy.Comment: LaTeX file, 24 pages, no figure, prepared for the proceedings of ERE
2006, minor correction
The Evolutionary Basis of Naturally Diverse Rice Leaves Anatomy
Rice contains genetically and ecologically diverse wild and cultivated species that show a
wide variation in plant and leaf architecture. A systematic characterization of leaf anatomy
is essential in understanding the dynamics behind such diversity. Therefore, leaf anatomies
of 24 Oryza species spanning 11 genetically diverse rice genomes were studied in both lateral
and longitudinal directions and possible evolutionary trends were examined. A significant
inter-species variation in mesophyll cells, bundle sheath cells, and vein structure was
observed, suggesting precise genetic control over these major rice leaf anatomical traits.
Cellular dimensions, measured along three growth axes, were further combined proportionately
to construct three-dimensional (3D) leaf anatomy models to compare the relative size
and orientation of the major cell types present in a fully expanded leaf. A reconstruction of
the ancestral leaf state revealed that the following are the major characteristics of recently
evolved rice species: fewer veins, larger and laterally elongated mesophyll cells, with an
increase in total mesophyll area and in bundle sheath cell number. A huge diversity in leaf
anatomy within wild and domesticated rice species has been portrayed in this study, on an
evolutionary context, predicting a two-pronged evolutionary pathway leading to the âsativa
leaf typeâ that we see today in domesticated species