943 research outputs found
A practical guide for the study of human and murine sebaceous glands in situ
The skin of most mammals is characterised by the presence of sebaceous glands (SGs), whose predominant constituent cell population is sebocytes, that is, lipid-producing epithelial cells, which develop from the hair follicle. Besides holocrine sebum production (which contributes 90% of skin surface lipids), multiple additional SG functions have emerged. These range from antimicrobial peptide production and immunomodulation, via lipid and hormone synthesis/metabolism, to the provision of an epithelial progenitor cell reservoir. Therefore, in addition to its involvement in common skin diseases (e.g. acne vulgaris), the unfolding diversity of SG functions, both in skin health and disease, has raised interest in this integral component of the pilosebaceous unit. This practical guide provides an introduction to SG biology and to relevant SG histochemical and immunohistochemical techniques, with emphasis placed on in situ evaluation methods that can be easily employed. We propose a range of simple, established markers, which are particularly instructive when addressing specific SG research questions in the two most commonly investigated species in SG research, humans and mice. To facilitate the development of reproducible analysis techniques for the in situ evaluation of SGs, this methods review concludes by suggesting quantitative (immuno-)histomorphometric methods for standardised SG evaluation
Coupled-channels analysis of the O+Pb fusion barrier distribution
Analyses using simplified coupled-channels models have been unable to
describe the shape of the previously measured fusion barrier distribution for
the doubly magic O+Pb system. This problem was investigated by
re-measuring the fission excitation function for O+Pb with
improved accuracy and performing more exact coupled-channels calculations,
avoiding the constant-coupling and first-order coupling approximations often
used in simplified analyses. Couplings to the single- and 2-phonon states of
Pb, correctly taking into account the excitation energy and the phonon
character of these states, particle transfers, and the effects of varying the
diffuseness of the nuclear potential, were all explored. However, in contrast
to other recent analyses of precise fusion data, no satisfactory simultaneous
description of the shape of the experimental barrier distribution and the
fusion cross-sections for O+Pb was obtained.Comment: RevTex, 29 pages, 7 postscript figures, to appear in PR
Fusion of light exotic nuclei at near-barrier energies : effect of inelastic excitation
The effect of inelastic excitation of exotic light projectiles (proton- as
well as neutron-rich) F and Be on fusion with heavy target has
been studied at near-barrier energies. The calculations have been performed in
the coupled channels approach where, in addition to the normal coupling of the
ground state of the projectile to the continuum, inelastic excitation of the
projectile to the bound excited state and its coupling to the continuum have
also been taken into consideration. The inclusion of these additional couplings
has been found to have significant effect on the fusion excitation function of
neutron-rich Be on Pb whereas the effect has been observed to be
nominal for the case of proton-rich F on the same target. The pronounced
effect of the channel coupling on the fusion process in case of Be is
attributed to its well-developed halo structure.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, Revtex.st
Primordialists and Constructionists: a typology of theories of religion
This article adopts categories from nationalism theory to classify theories of religion. Primordialist explanations are grounded in evolutionary psychology and emphasize the innate human demand for religion. Primordialists predict that religion does not decline in the modern era but will endure in perpetuity. Constructionist theories argue that religious demand is a human construct. Modernity initially energizes religion, but subsequently undermines it. Unpacking these ideal types is necessary in order to describe actual theorists of religion. Three distinctions within primordialism and constructionism are relevant. Namely those distinguishing: a) materialist from symbolist forms of constructionism; b) theories of origins from those pertaining to the reproduction of religion; and c) within reproduction, between theories of religious persistence and secularization. This typology helps to make sense of theories of religion by classifying them on the basis of their causal mechanisms, chronology and effects. In so doing, it opens up new sightlines for theory and research
Curvature fluctuations and Lyapunov exponent at Melting
We calculate the maximal Lyapunov exponent in constant-energy molecular
dynamics simulations at the melting transition for finite clusters of 6 to 13
particles (model rare-gas and metallic systems) as well as for bulk rare-gas
solid. For clusters, the Lyapunov exponent generally varies linearly with the
total energy, but the slope changes sharply at the melting transition. In the
bulk system, melting corresponds to a jump in the Lyapunov exponent, and this
corresponds to a singularity in the variance of the curvature of the potential
energy surface. In these systems there are two mechanisms of chaos -- local
instability and parametric instability. We calculate the contribution of the
parametric instability towards the chaoticity of these systems using a recently
proposed formalism. The contribution of parametric instability is a continuous
function of energy in small clusters but not in the bulk where the melting
corresponds to a decrease in this quantity. This implies that the melting in
small clusters does not lead to enhanced local instability.Comment: Revtex with 7 PS figures. To appear in Phys Rev
Systematic study of quasifission characteristics and timescales in heavy element formation reactions
Superheavy elements can only be created in the laboratory by the fusion of two massive nuclei. Mass-angle distributions give the most direct information on the characteristics and time scales of quasifission, the major competitor to fusion in these reactions. The systematics of 42 mass-angle distributions provide information on the global characteristics of quasifission. Deviations from the systematics reveal the major role played by the nuclear structure of the two colliding nuclei in determining the reaction outcome, and in hindering or favouring heavy element production.The authors acknowledge operations support for the ANU Heavy Ion Accelerator
Facility from NCRIS, and support from Dr. N. Lobanov and Dr. T.
Kibedi and the ANU Heavy Ion Accelerator Facility staff in operating the
Linac. Financial support from ARC grants DP130101569, DP140101337,
FL110100098, FT120100760 and DE140100784 is acknowledged
Hindrance of Heavy-ion Fusion at Extreme Sub-Barrier Energies in Open-shell Colliding Systems
The excitation function for the fusion-evaporation reaction 64Ni+100Mo has
been measured down to a cross-section of ~5 nb. Extensive coupled-channels
calculations have been performed, which cannot reproduce the steep fall-off of
the excitation function at extreme sub-barrier energies. Thus, this system
exhibits a hindrance for fusion, a phenomenon that has been discovered only
recently. In the S-factor representation introduced to quantify the hindrance,
a maximum is observed at E_s=120.6 MeV, which corresponds to 90% of the
reference energy E_s^ref, a value expected from systematics of closed-shell
systems. A systematic analysis of Ni-induced fusion reactions leading to
compound nuclei with mass A=100-200 is presented in order to explore a possible
dependence of the fusion hindrance on nuclear structure.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, Submitted to Phys. Rev.
Tackling bovine TB
On 18 December Defra revealed that during 2018, 32,601 badgers were killed, bringing the total number slaughtered under licence since 2013 to almost 67,000.1
âEffectivenessâ claims relate not to the impact on cattle TB, but rather to the ability of the contracted shooters to kill sufficient badgers to satisfy their licence requirements, which they can hardly fail to reach given that target numbers are âadjustedâ by Natural England part-way through the culls according to the contractorsâ progress.
Sixty per cent of the badgers have been killed by âcontrolled shootingâ, a method rejected by both the governmentâs Independent Expert Panel2 and the BVA3 because of animal welfare concerns. During 2018 Natural England directly monitored just 89 (0.43 per cent) of controlled shooting events.
It is deplorable that the chief veterinary officer (CVO) continues to support the roll-out of a policy that permits controlled shooting, when veterinary organisations have condemned the method on animal welfare grounds. It is particularly concerning that the CVO appears to have deflected responsibility for humaneness to Natural Englandâs chief scientist who, as far as we are aware, has no background in animal welfare science.
It is also unacceptable for government to attribute reductions in herd bovine TB (bTB) incidents over the first four years of culling in the original âpilotâ cull zones to its badger culling policy.4 Independent analysis of this and more recent data from the Gloucestershire pilot cull zone5 indicate that new herd incidence is rising sharply, with 22 herd breakdowns in the 12 months to September 2017 (an increase of 29.4 per cent when compared to the 17 breakdowns reported by APHA for the previous 12 months). Analysis of the 2018 figures indicates that both incidence and prevalence are now rising even faster, with a further 24 herd breakdowns occurring between 1 January and 5 December 2018.
To date, the government and its officials cite data that are two years out of date, but have declined to comment on this emerging evidence that, far from resulting in a substantial disease control benefit, badger culls may be leading to a sharp increase in bTB in cattle.
Natural Englandâs chief scientist and the UKâs CVO continue to endorse a failing and inhumane policy, bringing their offices into serious disrepute. We urge them, and the BVA, to reconsider their support for further badger culling, and instead focus on the actual cause of bTBâs epidemic spread â a cattle skin test with a sensitivity of only 50 per cent,6,7 and the ongoing problems associated with cattle movements and on-farm biosecurity
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