188 research outputs found
Conformal consistency relations for single-field inflation
We generalize the single-field consistency relations to capture not only the
leading term in the squeezed limit---going as 1/q^3, where q is the small
wavevector---but also the subleading one, going as 1/q^2. This term, for an
(n+1)-point function, is fixed in terms of the variation of the n-point
function under a special conformal transformation; this parallels the fact that
the 1/q^3 term is related with the scale dependence of the n-point function.
For the squeezed limit of the 3-point function, this conformal consistency
relation implies that there are no terms going as 1/q^2. We verify that the
squeezed limit of the 4-point function is related to the conformal variation of
the 3-point function both in the case of canonical slow-roll inflation and in
models with reduced speed of sound. In the second case the conformal
consistency conditions capture, at the level of observables, the relation among
operators induced by the non-linear realization of Lorentz invariance in the
Lagrangian. These results mean that, in any single-field model, primordial
correlation functions of \zeta are endowed with an SO(4,1) symmetry, with
dilations and special conformal transformations non-linearly realized by \zeta.
We also verify the conformal consistency relations for any n-point function in
models with a modulation of the inflaton potential, where the scale dependence
is not negligible. Finally, we generalize (some of) the consistency relations
involving tensors and soft internal momenta.Comment: 26 pages, 1 figure. v2. Corrected typos, notably a sign error in eq.
(54). Matches JCAP published versio
A microscopic theory of gauge mediation
We construct models of indirect gauge mediation where the dynamics
responsible for breaking supersymmetry simultaneously generates a weakly
coupled subsector of messengers. This provides a microscopic realization of
messenger gauge mediation where the messenger and hidden sector fields are
unified into a single sector. The UV theory is SQCD with massless and massive
quarks plus singlets, and at low energies it flows to a weakly coupled quiver
gauge theory. One node provides the primary source of supersymmetry breaking,
which is then transmitted to the node giving rise to the messenger fields.
These models break R-symmetry spontaneously, produce realistic gaugino and
sfermion masses, and give a heavy gravitino.Comment: 24 pages, 2 figures, accepted to JHEP for publicatio
Anomalous Dimensions and Non-Gaussianity
We analyze the signatures of inflationary models that are coupled to strongly
interacting field theories, a basic class of multifield models also motivated
by their role in providing dynamically small scales. Near the squeezed limit of
the bispectrum, we find a simple scaling behavior determined by operator
dimensions, which are constrained by the appropriate unitarity bounds.
Specifically, we analyze two simple and calculable classes of examples:
conformal field theories (CFTs), and large-N CFTs deformed by relevant
time-dependent double-trace operators. Together these two classes of examples
exhibit a wide range of scalings and shapes of the bispectrum, including nearly
equilateral, orthogonal and local non-Gaussianity in different regimes. Along
the way, we compare and contrast the shape and amplitude with previous results
on weakly coupled fields coupled to inflation. This signature provides a
precision test for strongly coupled sectors coupled to inflation via irrelevant
operators suppressed by a high mass scale up to 1000 times the inflationary
Hubble scale.Comment: 40 pages, 10 figure
An Antimicrobial Peptide Regulates Tumor-Associated Macrophage Trafficking via the Chemokine Receptor CCR2, a Model for Tumorigenesis
Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) constitute a significant part of infiltrating inflammatory cells that are frequently correlated with progression and poor prognosis of a variety of cancers. Tumor cell-produced human Ξ²-defensin-3 (hBD-3) has been associated with TAM trafficking in oral cancer; however, its involvement in tumor-related inflammatory processes remains largely unknown., applying a cross-desensitization strategy of CCR2 and its pharmacological inhibitor (RS102895), respectively, was also carried out. outcome and demonstrates the importance of the innate immune system in the development of tumors
Early Myeloid Dendritic Cell Dysregulation is Predictive of Disease Progression in Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Infection
Myeloid dendritic cells (mDC) are lost from blood in individuals with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection but the mechanism for this loss and its relationship to disease progression are not known. We studied the mDC response in blood and lymph nodes of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected rhesus macaques with different disease outcomes. Early changes in blood mDC number were inversely correlated with virus load and reflective of eventual disease outcome, as animals with stable infection that remained disease-free for more than one year had average increases in blood mDC of 200% over preinfection levels at virus set-point, whereas animals that progressed rapidly to AIDS had significant loss of mDC at this time. Short term antiretroviral therapy (ART) transiently reversed mDC loss in progressor animals, whereas discontinuation of ART resulted in a 3.5-fold increase in mDC over preinfection levels only in stable animals, approaching 10-fold in some cases. Progressive SIV infection was associated with increased CCR7 expression on blood mDC and an 8-fold increase in expression of CCL19 mRNA in lymph nodes, consistent with increased mDC recruitment. Paradoxically, lymph node mDC did not accumulate in progressive infection but rather died from caspase-8-dependent apoptosis that was reduced by ART, indicating that increased recruitment is offset by increased death. Lymph node mDC from both stable and progressor animals remained responsive to exogenous stimulation with a TLR7/8 agonist. These data suggest that mDC are mobilized in SIV infection but that an increase in the CCR7-CCL19 chemokine axis associated with high virus burden in progressive infection promotes exodus of activated mDC from blood into lymph nodes where they die from apoptosis. We suggest that inflamed lymph nodes serve as a sink for mDC through recruitment, activation and death that contributes to AIDS pathogenesis
HIV-1 co-receptor usage:influence on mother-to-child transmission and pediatric infection
Viral CCR5 usage is not a predictive marker of mother to child transmission (MTCT) of HIV-1. CXCR4-using viral variants are little represented in pregnant women, have an increased although not significant risk of transmission and can be eventually also detected in the neonates. Genetic polymorphisms are more frequently of relevance in the child than in the mother. However, specific tissues as the placenta or the intestine, which are involved in the prevalent routes of infection in MTCT, may play an important role of selective barriers
Use of nanomaterials in the pretreatment of water samples for environmental analysis
The challenge of providing clean drinking water is of enormous relevance in todayβs human civilization, being essential for human consumption, but also for agriculture, livestock and several industrial applications. In addition to remediation strategies, the accurate monitoring of pollutants in water sup-plies, which most of the times are present at low concentrations, is a critical challenge. The usual low concentration of target analytes, the presence of in-terferents and the incompatibility of the sample matrix with instrumental techniques and detectors are the main reasons that renders sample preparation a relevant part of environmental monitoring strategies. The discovery and ap-plication of new nanomaterials allowed improvements on the pretreatment of water samples, with benefits in terms of speed, reliability and sensitivity in analysis. In this chapter, the use of nanomaterials in solid-phase extraction (SPE) protocols for water samples pretreatment for environmental monitoring is addressed. The most used nanomaterials, including metallic nanoparticles, metal organic frameworks, molecularly imprinted polymers, carbon-based nanomaterials, silica-based nanoparticles and nanocomposites are described, and their applications and advantages overviewed. Main gaps are identified and new directions on the field are suggested.publishe
What Is New for an Old Molecule? Systematic Review and Recommendations on the Use of Resveratrol
Stilbenes are naturally occurring phytoalexins that generally exist as their more stable E isomers. The most well known natural stilbene is resveratrol (Res), firstly isolated in 1939 from roots of Veratrum grandiflorum (white hellebore) (1) and since then found in various edible plants, notably in Vitis vinifera L. (Vitaceae) (2). The therapeutic potential of Res covers a wide range of diseases, and multiple beneficial effects on human health such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities have been suggested based on several in vitro and animal studies (3). In particular, Res has been reported to be an inhibitor of carcinogenesis at multiple stages via its ability to inhibit cyclooxygenase, and is an anticancer agent with a role in antiangiogenesis (4). Moreover, both in vitro and in vivo studies showed that Res induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in tumor cells (4). However, clinical studies in humans evidenced that Res is rapidly absorbed after oral intake, and that the low level observed in the blood stream is caused by a fast conversion into metabolites that are readily excreted from the body (5). Thus, considerable efforts have gone in the design and synthesis of Res analogues with enhanced metabolic stability. Considering that reduced Res (dihydro- resveratrol, D-Res) conjugates may account for as much as 50% of an oral Res dose (5), and that D-Res has a strong proliferative effect on hormone-sensitive cancer cell lines such as breast cancer cell line MCF7 (6), we recently devoted our synthetic efforts to the preparation of trans-restricted analogues of Res in which the E carbon-carbon double bond is embedded into an imidazole nucleus. To keep the trans geometry, the two aryl rings were linked to the heteroaromatic core in a 1,3 fashion. Based on this design, we successfully prepared a variety of 1,4-, 2,4- and 2,5-diaryl substituted imidazoles including Res analogues 1, 2 and 3, respectively, by procedures that involve transition metal-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions and highly selective N-H or C-H direct arylation reactions as key synthetic steps.
The anticancer activity of compounds 1β3 was evaluated against the 60 human cancer cell lines panel of the National Cancer Institute (NCI, USA). The obtained results, that will be showed and discussed along with the protocols developed for the preparation of imidazoles 1β3, confirmed that a structural optimization of Res may provide analogues with improved potency in inhibiting the growth of human cancer cell lines in vitro when compared to their natural lead.
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(2) Langcake, P.; Pryce, R. J. Physiological. Plant Patology 1976, 9, 77-86.
(3) Vang, O.; et al. PLoS ONE 2011, 6, e19881. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0019881
(4) Kraft, T. E.; et al. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 2009, 49, 782-799.
(5) Walle, T. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 2011, 1215, 9-15. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2010.05842.x
(6) Gakh,A.A.;etal.Bioorg.Med.Chem.Lett.2010,20,6149-6151
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