10,512 research outputs found
Semi-leptonic B decays into higher charmed resonances
We apply HQET to semi-leptonic meson decays into a variety of excited
charm states. Using three realistic meson models with fermionic light degrees
of freedom, we examine the extent that the sum of exclusive single charmed
states account for the inclusive semi-leptonic decay rate. The consistency
of form factors with the Bjorken and Voloshin sum rules is also investigated.Comment: Latex, 27 pages. A few references and errors corrected, to appear in
Phys. Rev.
From scalar to string confinement
We outline a connection between scalar quark confinement, a
phenomenologically successful concept heretofore lacking fundamental
justification, and QCD. Although scalar confinement does not follow from QCD,
there is an interesting and close relationship between them. We develop a
simple model intermediate between scalar confinement and the QCD string for
illustrative purposes. Finally, we find the bound state masses of scalar,
time-component vector, and string confinement analytically through
semi-classical quantization.Comment: ReVTeX, 9 pages, 5 figure
5-Fluorouracil signaling through a calcium-calmodulin-dependent pathway is required for p53 activation and apoptosis in colon carcinoma cells
5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is an anti-metabolite that is in clinical use for treatment of several cancers. In cells, it is converted into three distinct fluoro-based nucleotide analogs, which interfere with DNA synthesis and repair, leading to genome impairment and, eventually, apoptotic cell death. Current knowledge states that in certain cell types, 5-FU-induced stress is signaling through a p53-dependent induction of tumor necrosis factor-receptor oligomerization required for death-inducing signaling complex formation and caspase-8 activation. Here we establish a role of calcium (Ca 2+) as a messenger for p53 activation in response to 5-FU. Using a combination of pharmacological and genetic approaches, we show that treatment of colon carcinoma cells stimulates entry of extracellular Ca 2+ through long lasting-type plasma membrane channels, which further directs posttranslational phosphorylation of at least three p53 serine residues (S15, S33 and S37) by means of calmodulin (CaM) activity. Obstructing this pathway by the Ca 2+ -chelator BAPTA (1,2-bis(o-aminophenoxy)ethane- N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid) or by inhibitors of CaM efficiently reduces 5-FU-induced caspase activities and subsequent cell death. Moreover, ectopic expression of p53 S15A in HCT116 p53 -/- cells confirmed the importance of a Ca 2+ -CaM-p53 axis in 5-FU-induced extrinsic apoptosis. The fact that a widely used therapeutic drug, such as 5-FU, is operating via this pathway could provide new therapeutic intervention points, or specify new combinatorial treatment regimes. © 2013 Macmillan Publishers Limited.Swedish Science Foundation; Swedish and Stockholm Cancer Societies; Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation; EC-FP-6 (Chemores); EC-FP-7 (APO-SYS
Surveillance of Echinococcus multilocularis in rodents in the vicinity of the finding of the first infected red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in Sweden
Olsson, G.E., Hörnfeldt, B., Ågren, E., Wahlström, H
A semiclassical model of light mesons
The dominantly orbital state description is applied to the study of light
mesons. The effective Hamiltonian is characterized by a relativistic kinematics
supplemented by the usual funnel potential with a mixed scalar and vector
confinement. The influence of two different finite quark masses and potential
parameters on Regge and vibrational trajectories is discussed.Comment: 1 figur
Visualizing plasmon-exciton polaritons at the nanoscale using electron microscopy
Polaritons are compositional light-matter quasiparticles that have recently
enabled remarkable breakthroughs in quantum and nonlinear optics, as well as in
material science. Despite the enormous progress, however, a direct
nanometer-scale visualization of polaritons has remained an open challenge.
Here, we demonstrate that plasmon-exciton polaritons, or plexcitons, generated
by a hybrid system composed of an individual silver nanoparticle and a
few-layer transition metal dichalcogenide can be spectroscopically mapped with
nanometer spatial resolution using electron energy loss spectroscopy in a
scanning transmission electron microscope. Our experiments reveal important
insights about the coupling process, which have not been reported so far. These
include nanoscale variation of Rabi splitting and plasmon-exciton detuning, as
well as absorption-dominated extinction signals, which in turn provide the
ultimate evidence for the plasmon-exciton hybridization in the strong coupling
regime. These findings pioneer new possibilities for in-depth studies of
polariton-related phenomena with nanometer spatial resolution
Weight Vectors of the Basic A_1^(1)-Module and the Littlewood-Richardson Rule
The basic representation of \A is studied. The weight vectors are
represented in terms of Schur functions. A suitable base of any weight space is
given. Littlewood-Richardson rule appears in the linear relations among weight
vectors.Comment: February 1995, 7pages, Using AMS-Te
Dynamic Approach to the Fully Frustrated XY Model
Using Monte Carlo simulations, we systematically investigate the
non-equilibrium dynamics of the chiral degree of freedom in the two-dimensional
fully frustrated XY model. The critical initial increase of the staggered
chiral magnetization is observed. By means of the short-time dynamics approach,
we estimate the second order phase transition temperature and all the
dynamic and static critical exponents , z, and .Comment: 5 pages with 6 figures include
Minimizing membrane bioreactor environmental footprint by multiple objective optimization
This paper presents a modelling study aimed at minimizing the environmental foot print of a membrane bioreactor (MBR) for wastewater treatment. Specifically, an integrated model for MBR was employed in view of the management optimization of an MBR biological nutrient removal (BNR) pilot plant in terms of operational costs and direct greenhouse gases emissions. The influence of the operational parameters (OPs) on performance indicators (PIs) was investigated by adopting the Extended-FAST sensitivity analysis method. Further, a multi-objective analysis was performed by applying the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). The results show-up that the sludge retention time is the OP mostly affecting all the investigated PIs. By applying the set of optimal OPs, there was a reduction of 48% and 10% of the operational costs and direct emissions, respectively
Penetration of fusidic acid and rifampicin into cerebrospinal fluid in low-grade inflammatory meningitis caused by Staphylococcus epidermidis
AbstractCerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentration-time curves of rifampicin and fusidic acid were studied in a patient with post-operative meningitis caused by Staphylococcus epidermidis. The patient was treated with this combination of antimicrobial agents because of a severe hypersensitivity reaction to vancomycin. Peak CSF concentrations of rifampicin exceeded the MIC by > 60-fold, while those of fusidic acid just reached the MIC. CSF concentrations of fusidic acid were relatively stable within the range reported for patients with uninflamed meninges, but serum levels were surprisingly low. An increase in the metabolism of fusidic acid induced by rifampicin cannot be excluded
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