236 research outputs found
Vertex functions for d-wave mesons in the light-front approach
While the light-front quark model (LFQM) is employed to calculate hadronic
transition matrix elements, the vertex functions must be pre-determined. In
this work we derive the vertex functions for all d-wave states in this model.
Especially, since both of and are mesons, the Lorentz
structures of their vertex functions are the same. Thus when one needs to study
the processes where is involved, all the corresponding formulas for
states can be directly applied, only the coefficient of the vertex
function should be replaced by that for . The results would be useful
for studying the newly observed resonances which are supposed to be d-wave
mesons and furthermore the possible 2S-1D mixing in with the LFQM.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figures, some typos corrected and more discussions added.
Accepted by EPJ
Effect of Intensity Modulator Extinction on Practical Quantum Key Distribution System
We study how the imperfection of intensity modulator effects on the security
of a practical quantum key distribution system. The extinction ratio of the
realistic intensity modulator is considered in our security analysis. We show
that the secret key rate increases, under the practical assumption that the
indeterminable noise introduced by the imperfect intensity modulator can not be
controlled by the eavesdropper.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures. EPJD accepte
The relative efficacy of different strain combinations of lactic acid bacteria in the reduction of populations of Salmonella enterica Typhimurium in the livers and spleens of mice
Multispecies probiotics have been reported to be more effective than monostrain probiotics in health promoting for the host. In this study, 12 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains were selected based on the level of induction of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. Their adherence to Caco-2 cells and inhibitory effects on Salmonella invasion of Caco-2 cells were compared. Strains with different probiotic properties were then combined and BALB/c mice were fed with LAB strains for 63 days; then the mice were challenged with Salmonella on day 64. For Salmonella-unchallenged mice that received a multistrain combination of LAB strains that have greater TNF-alpha production in macrophages, greater adherence and inhibit Salmonella invasion of Caco-2 cells to a greater extent, their peritoneal macrophages had greater phagocytic activity. For Salmonella-challenged mice, a significant reduction of Salmonella cells in the livers and spleens of the mice was observed 8 days post challenge. The addition of 12% skim milk powder together with LAB strain combinations significantly enhanced the reduction of Salmonella cells in the mice livers and spleens. In conclusion, we have shown that LAB strain combinations with particular probiotic properties when fed to mice can inhibit Salmonella invasion of the liver and spleen
Radiative transitions among the vector and scalar heavy quarkonium states with covariant light-front quark model
In this article, we study the radiative transitions among the vector and
scalar heavy quarkonium states with the covariant light-front quark model. In
calculations, we observe that the radiative decay widths are sensitive to the
constituent quark masses and the shape parameters of the wave-functions, and
reproduce the experimental data with suitable parameters.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figure
Twenty five years after KLS: A celebration of non-equilibrium statistical mechanics
When Lenz proposed a simple model for phase transitions in magnetism, he
couldn't have imagined that the "Ising model" was to become a jewel in field of
equilibrium statistical mechanics. Its role spans the spectrum, from a good
pedagogical example to a universality class in critical phenomena. A quarter
century ago, Katz, Lebowitz and Spohn found a similar treasure. By introducing
a seemingly trivial modification to the Ising lattice gas, they took it into
the vast realms of non-equilibrium statistical mechanics. An abundant variety
of unexpected behavior emerged and caught many of us by surprise. We present a
brief review of some of the new insights garnered and some of the outstanding
puzzles, as well as speculate on the model's role in the future of
non-equilibrium statistical physics.Comment: 3 figures. Proceedings of 100th Statistical Mechanics Meeting,
Rutgers, NJ (December, 2008
Measurement of the Charged Multiplicities in b, c and Light Quark Events from Z0 Decays
Average charged multiplicities have been measured separately in , and
light quark () events from decays measured in the SLD experiment.
Impact parameters of charged tracks were used to select enriched samples of
and light quark events, and reconstructed charmed mesons were used to select
quark events. We measured the charged multiplicities:
,
, from
which we derived the differences between the total average charged
multiplicities of or quark events and light quark events: and . We compared
these measurements with those at lower center-of-mass energies and with
perturbative QCD predictions. These combined results are in agreement with the
QCD expectations and disfavor the hypothesis of flavor-independent
fragmentation.Comment: 19 pages LaTex, 4 EPS figures, to appear in Physics Letters
Whole exome resequencing reveals recessive mutations in TRAP1 in individuals with CAKUT and VACTERL association
Congenital abnormalities of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) account for approximately half of children with chronic kidney disease and they are the most frequent cause of end-stage renal disease in children in the US. However, its genetic etiology remains mostly elusive. VACTERL association is a rare disorder that involves congenital abnormalities in multiple organs including the kidney and urinary tract in up to 60% of the cases. By homozygosity mapping and whole exome resequencing combined with high-throughput mutation analysis by array-based multiplex PCR and next-generation sequencing, we identified recessive mutations in the gene TNF receptor-associated protein 1 (TRAP1) in two families with isolated CAKUT and three families with VACTERL association. TRAP1 is a heat shock protein 90-related mitochondrial chaperone possibly involved in antiapoptotic and endoplasmic reticulum-stress signaling. Trap1 is expressed in renal epithelia of developing mouse kidney E13.5 and in the kidney of adult rats, most prominently in proximal tubules and in thick medullary ascending limbs of Henleâs loop. Thus, we identified mutations in TRAP1 as highly likely causing CAKUT or CAKUT in VACTERL association
Light flavor asymmetry of nucleon sea
The light flavor antiquark distributions of the nucleon sea are calculated in
the effective chiral quark model and compared with experimental results. The
contributions of the flavor-symmetric sea-quark distributions and the nuclear
EMC effect are taken into account to obtain the ratio of Drell-Yan cross
sections , which can match well
with the results measured in the FermiLab E866/NuSea experiment. The calculated
results also match the measured from different
experiments, but unmatch the behavior of derived
indirectly from the measurable quantity
by the FermiLab E866/NuSea
Collaboration at large . We suggest to measure again
at large from precision experiments with careful experimental data
treatment. We also propose an alternative procedure for experimental data
treatment.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, final version to appear in EPJ
52 Genetic Loci Influencing Myocardial Mass.
BACKGROUND: Myocardial mass is a key determinant of cardiac muscle function and hypertrophy. Myocardial depolarization leading to cardiac muscle contraction is reflected by the amplitude and duration of the QRS complex on the electrocardiogram (ECG). Abnormal QRS amplitude or duration reflect changes in myocardial mass and conduction, and are associated with increased risk of heart failure and death. OBJECTIVES: This meta-analysis sought to gain insights into the genetic determinants of myocardial mass. METHODS: We carried out a genome-wide association meta-analysis of 4 QRS traits in up to 73,518 individuals of European ancestry, followed by extensive biological and functional assessment. RESULTS: We identified 52 genomic loci, of which 32 are novel, that are reliably associated with 1 or more QRS phenotypes at p < 1 à 10(-8). These loci are enriched in regions of open chromatin, histone modifications, and transcription factor binding, suggesting that they represent regions of the genome that are actively transcribed in the human heart. Pathway analyses provided evidence that these loci play a role in cardiac hypertrophy. We further highlighted 67 candidate genes at the identified loci that are preferentially expressed in cardiac tissue and associated with cardiac abnormalities in Drosophila melanogaster and Mus musculus. We validated the regulatory function of a novel variant in the SCN5A/SCN10A locus in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our findings provide new insights into genes and biological pathways controlling myocardial mass and may help identify novel therapeutic targets
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