Perturbations of Gauss-Bonnet Black Strings in Codimension-2 Braneworlds

We derive the Lichnerowicz equation in the presence of the Gauss-Bonnet term. Using the modified Lichnerowicz equation we study the metric perturbations of Gauss-Bonnet black strings in Codimension-2 Braneworlds.Comment: 26 pages, no figures, clarifying comments and one reference added, to be published in JHE

Geodesics, the Equivalence Principle and Singularities in Higher-dimensional General Relativity and Braneworlds

The geodesics of a spacetime seldom coincide with those of an embedded submanifold of codimension one. We investigate this issue for higher-dimensional general relativity-like models, firstly in the simpler case without branes to isolate which features are already present, and then in the more complicated case with branes. The framework in which we consider branes is general enough to include asymmetric braneworlds but not thick branes. We apply our results on geodesics to study both the equivalence principle and cosmological singularities. Among the models we study these considerations favour $Z_2$ symmetric braneworlds with a negative bulk cosmological constant.Comment: 20 pages, 2 figures. Accepted by JCAP. Minor proofreading corrections; several references adde

Influence of a Brane Tension on Phantom and Massive Scalar Field Emission

We elaborate the signature of the extra dimensions and brane tension in the process of phantom and massive scalar emission in the spacetime of (4+n)-dimensional tense brane black hole. Absorption cross section, luminosity of Hawking radiation and cross section in the low-energy approximation were found. We envisage that parameter connected with the existence of a brane imprints its role in the Hawking radiation of the considered fields.Comment: 7 pages, * figures, RevTex, to be published in General Relativity and Gravitatio

Holographic Flow of Anomalous Transport Coefficients

We study the holographic flow of anomalous conductivities induced by gauge and gravitational Chern-Simons terms. We find that the contribution from the gauge Chern-Simons term gives rise to a flow that can be interpreted in terms of an effective, cutoff dependent chemical potential. In contrast the contribution of the gauge-gravitational Chern-Simons term is just the temperature squared and does not flow.Comment: 26 pages, no figure

The Chiral MagnetoHydroDynamics of QCD fluid at RHIC and LHC

The experimental results on heavy ion collisions at RHIC and LHC indicate that QCD plasma behaves as a nearly perfect fluid described by relativistic hydrodynamics. Hydrodynamics is an effective low-energy Theory Of Everything stating that the response of a system to external perturbations is dictated by conservation laws that are a consequence of the symmetries of the underlying theory. In the case of QCD fluid produced in heavy ion collisions, this theory possesses anomalies, so some of the apparent classical symmetries are broken by quantum effects. Even though the anomalies appear as a result of UV regularization and so look like a short distance phenomenon, it has been realized recently that they also affect the large distance, macroscopic behavior in hydrodynamics. One of the manifestations of anomalies in relativistic hydrodynamics is the Chiral Magnetic Effect (CME). At this conference, a number of evidences for CME have been presented, including i) the disappearance of charge asymmetry fluctuations in the low-energy RHIC data where the energy density is thought to be below the critical one for deconfinement; ii) the observation of charge asymmetry fluctuations in Pb-Pb collisions at the LHC. Here I give a three-page summary of some of the recent theoretical and experimental developments and of the future tests that may allow to establish (or to refute) the CME as the origin of the observed charge asymmetry fluctuations.Comment: 4 pages, talk at Quark Matter 2011 Conference, Annecy, France, 23-28 May 201

Proteasome Inhibitor Bortezomib Ameliorates Intestinal Injury in Mice

Background: Bortezomib is a proteasome inhibitor that has shown impressive efficacy in the treatment of multiple myeloma. In mice, the addition of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) to drinking water leads to acute colitis that can serve as an experimental animal model for human ulcerative colitis. Methodology/Principal Findings: Bortezomib treatment was shown to potently inhibit murine DSS-induced colitis. The attenuation of DSS-induced colitis was associated with decreased inflammatory cell infiltration in the colon. Specifically, bortezomib-treated mice showed significantly decreased numbers of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells in the colon and mesenteric lymph nodes. Bortezomib treatment significantly diminished interferon (IFN)-c expression in the colon and mesenteric lymph nodes. Furthermore, cytoplasmic IFN-c production by CD4 + and CD8 + T cells in mesenteric lymph nodes was substantially decreased by bortezomib treatment. Notably, bortezomib enhanced T cell apoptosis by inhibiting nuclear factor-kB activation during DSS-induced colitis. Conclusions/Significance: Bortezomib treatment is likely to induce T cell death, thereby suppressing DSS-induced colitis by reducing IFN-c production

CCL25/CCR9 Interactions Regulate Large Intestinal Inflammation in a Murine Model of Acute Colitis

CCL25/CCR9 is a non-promiscuous chemokine/receptor pair and a key regulator of leukocyte migration to the small intestine. We investigated here whether CCL25/CCR9 interactions also play a role in the regulation of inflammatory responses in the large intestine.Acute inflammation and recovery in wild-type (WT) and CCR9(-/-) mice was studied in a model of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. Distribution studies and phenotypic characterization of dendritic cell subsets and macrophage were performed by flow cytometry. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) scores were assessed and expression of inflammatory cytokines was studied at the mRNA and the protein level.CCL25 and CCR9 are both expressed in the large intestine and are upregulated during DSS colitis. CCR9(-/-) mice are more susceptible to DSS colitis than WT littermate controls as shown by higher mortality, increased IBD score and delayed recovery. During recovery, the CCR9(-/-) colonic mucosa is characterized by the accumulation of activated macrophages and elevated levels of Th1/Th17 inflammatory cytokines. Activated plasmacytoid dendritic cells (DCs) accumulate in mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) of CCR9(-/-) animals, altering the local ratio of DC subsets. Upon re-stimulation, T cells isolated from these MLNs secrete significantly higher levels of TNFα, IFNγ, IL2, IL-6 and IL-17A while down modulating IL-10 production.Our results demonstrate that CCL25/CCR9 interactions regulate inflammatory immune responses in the large intestinal mucosa by balancing different subsets of dendritic cells. These findings have important implications for the use of CCR9-inhibitors in therapy of human IBD as they indicate a potential risk for patients with large intestinal inflammation

Demographic History of Indigenous Populations in Mesoamerica Based on mtDNA Sequence Data

The genetic characterization of Native American groups provides insights into their history and demographic events. We sequenced the mitochondrial D-loop region (control region) of 520 samples from eight Mexican indigenous groups. In addition to an analysis of the genetic diversity, structure and genetic relationship between 28 Native American populations, we applied Bayesian skyline methodology for a deeper insight into the history of Mesoamerica. AMOVA tests applying cultural, linguistic and geographic criteria were performed. MDS plots showed a central cluster of Oaxaca and Maya populations, whereas those from the North and West were located on the periphery. Demographic reconstruction indicates higher values of the effective number of breeding females (Nef) in Central Mesoamerica during the Preclassic period, whereas this pattern moves toward the Classic period for groups in the North and West. Conversely, Nef minimum values are distributed either in the Lithic period (i.e. founder effects) or in recent periods (i.e. population declines). The Mesomerican regions showed differences in population fluctuation as indicated by the maximum Inter-Generational Rate (IGRmax): i) Center-South from the lithic period until the Preclassic; ii) West from the beginning of the Preclassic period until early Classic; iii) North characterized by a wide range of temporal variation from the Lithic to the Preclassic. Our findings are consistent with the genetic variations observed between central, South and Southeast Mesoamerica and the North-West region that are related to differences in genetic drift, structure, and temporal survival strategies (agriculture versus hunter-gathering, respectively). Interestingly, although the European contact had a major negative demographic impact, we detect a previous decline in Mesoamerica that had begun a few hundred years before