First Lattice Calculation of the Electromagnetic Operator Amplitude <pi0|Q+|K0>

We present the first lattice calculation of the matrix element of the electromagnetic operator , where Q+ = (Q_d e/16 pi^2)* (\bar s_L sigma{mu,nu} F{mu,nu} d_R + \bar s_R sigma{mu,nu} F{mu,nu} d_L). This matrix element plays an important role, since it contributes to enhance the CP violating part of the K_L -> pi0 e+ e- amplitude in supersymmetric extensions of the Standard Model.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figure

General CP Violation in Minimal Left-Right Symmetric Model and Constraints on the Right-Handed Scale

In minimal left-right symmetric theories, the requirement of parity invariance allows only one complex phase in the Higgs potential and one in the Yukawa couplings, leading to a two-phase theory with both spontaneous and explicit CP violations. We present a systematic way to solve the right-handed quark mixing matrix analytically in this model and find that the leading order solution has the same hierarchical structure as the left-handed CKM matrix with one more CP-violating phase coming from the complex Higgs vev. Armed with this explicit right-handed mixing matrix, we explore its implications for flavor changing and conserving processes in detail, low-energy CP-violating observables in particular. We report an improved lower bound on the $W_R$ mass of 2.5 TeV from $\Delta M_K$ and $\Delta M_{B}$, and a somewhat higher bound (4 TeV) from kaon decay parameters $\epsilon$, $\epsilon'$, and neutron electric dipole moment. The new bound on the flavor-changing neutral Higgs mass is 25 TeV.Comment: 35 pages, 14 figure

Search for new physics from B→πϕB\to\pi \phi

We investigate the pure penguin process $B^-\to \pi^-\phi$ using QCD factorization approach to calculate hadronic matrix elements to the $\alpha_s$ order in some well-known NP models. It is shown that the NP contributions in R-parity conserved SUSY models and 2HDMs are not enough to saturate the experimental upper bounds for $B\to \phi \pi$. We have shown that the flavor changing $Z^\prime$ models can make the branching ratios of $B\to \phi \pi$ to saturate the bound under all relevant experimental constraints.Comment: No figure

Fully supersymmetric CP violations in the kaon system

We show that, on the contrary to the usual claims, fully supersymmetric CP violations in the kaon system are possible through the gluino mediated flavor changing interactions. Both $\epsilon_K$ and ${\rm Re} (\epsilon' / \epsilon_K)$ can be accommodated for relatively large $\tan\beta$ without any fine tunings or contradictions to the FCNC and EDM constraints.Comment: Contribution to the Proceedings of ICHEP2000, Osaka, 200

High-yield production of a human monoclonal IgG by rhizosecretion in hydroponic tobacco cultures.

Rhizosecretion of recombinant pharmaceuticals from in vitro hydroponic transgenic plant cultures is a simple, low cost, reproducible and controllable production method. Here, we demonstrate the application and adaptation of this manufacturing platform to a human antivitronectin IgG1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) called M12. The rationale for specific growth medium additives was established by phenotypic analysis of root structure and by LC-ESI-MS/MS profiling of the total protein content profile of the hydroponic medium. Through a combination of optimization approaches, mAb yields in hydroponic medium reached 46 μg/mL in 1 week, the highest figure reported for a recombinant mAb in a plant secretion-based system to date. The rhizosecretome was determined to contain 104 proteins, with the mAb heavy and light chains the most abundant. This enabled evaluation of a simple, scalable extraction and purification protocol and demonstration that only minimal processing was necessary prior to protein A affinity chromatography. MALDI-TOF MS revealed that purified mAb contained predominantly complex-type plant N-glycans, in three major glycoforms. The binding of M12 purified from hydroponic medium to vitronectin was comparable to its Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-derived counterpart. This study demonstrates that in vitro hydroponic cultivation coupled with recombinant protein rhizosecretion can be a practical, low-cost production platform for monoclonal antibodies

A consistency-checking consensus-building method to assess complexity of energy megaprojects

Project complexity has been recognised as one of the main causes of failures in many energy megaprojects worldwide. This research aims to develop a Project Complexity Assessment (PCA) method, which consists of three components: a taxonomy of Project Complexity Indicators (PCIs), an integrated Delphi and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) process to establish weights of the PCIs, and numerical rating criteria for all PCIs. An innovative aspect of the research is the effective consistency checking and consensus building method during the Delphi-AHP process. The developed PCA method is demonstrated in an energy megaproject case study

A Single-Arm, Proof-Of-Concept Trial of Lopimune (Lopinavir/Ritonavir) as a Treatment for HPV-Related Pre-Invasive Cervical Disease

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is the most common female malignancy in the developing nations and the third most common cancer in women globally. An effective, inexpensive and self-applied topical treatment would be an ideal solution for treatment of screen-detected, pre-invasive cervical disease in low resource settings. METHODS: Between 01/03/2013 and 01/08/2013, women attending Kenyatta National Hospital's Family Planning and Gynaecology Outpatients clinics were tested for HIV, HPV (Cervista®) and liquid based cervical cytology (LBC -ThinPrep®). HIV negative women diagnosed as high-risk HPV positive with high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) were examined by colposcopy and given a 2 week course of 1 capsule of Lopimune (CIPLA) twice daily, to be self-applied as a vaginal pessary. Colposcopy, HPV testing and LBC were repeated at 4 and 12 weeks post-start of treatment with a final punch biopsy at 3 months for histology. Primary outcome measures were acceptability of treatment with efficacy as a secondary consideration. RESULTS: A total of 23 women with HSIL were treated with Lopimune during which time no adverse reactions were reported. A maximum concentration of 10 ng/ml of lopinavir was detected in patient plasma 1 week after starting treatment. HPV was no longer detected in 12/23 (52.2%, 95%CI: 30.6-73.2%). Post-treatment cytology at 12 weeks on women with HSIL, showed 14/22 (63.6%, 95%CI: 40.6-82.8%) had no dysplasia and 4/22 (18.2%, 95%CI: 9.9-65.1%) were now low grade demonstrating a combined positive response in 81.8% of women of which 77.8% was confirmed by histology. These data are supported by colposcopic images, which show regression of cervical lesions. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate the potential of Lopimune as a self-applied therapy for HPV infection and related cervical lesions. Since there were no serious adverse events or detectable post-treatment morbidity, this study indicates that further trials are clearly justified to define optimal regimes and the overall benefit of this therapy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN Registry 48776874