Electromagnetic corrections in the anomaly sector

Chiral perturbation theory in the anomaly sector for $N_f=2$ is extended to include dynamical photons, thereby allowing a complete treatment of isospin breaking. A minimal set of independent chiral lagrangian terms is determined and the divergence structure is worked out. There are contributions from irreducible and also from reducible one-loop graphs, a feature of ChPT at order larger than four. The generating functional is non-anomalous at order $e^2p^4$, but not necessarily at higher order in $e^2$. Practical applications to $\gamma\pi\to\pi\pi$ and to the $\pi^0\to2\gamma$ amplitudes are considered. In the latter case, a complete discussion of the corrections beyond current algebra is presented including quark mass as well as electromagnetic effects.Comment: 26 pages, 3 figure

Chiral expansions of the pi0 lifetime

The corrections induced by light quark masses to the current algebra result for the $\pi^0$ lifetime are reexamined. We consider NNLO corrections and we compute all the one-loop and the two-loop diagrams which contribute to the decay amplitude at NNLO in the two-flavour chiral expansion. We show that the result is renormalizable, as Weinberg consistency conditions are satisfied. We find that chiral logarithms are present at this order unlike the case at NLO. The result could be used in conjunction with lattice QCD simulations, the feasibility of which was recently demonstrated. We discuss the matching between the two-flavour and the three-flavour chiral expansions in the anomalous sector at order one-loop and derive the relations between the coupling constants. A modified chiral counting is proposed, in which $m_s$ counts as $O(p)$. We have updated the various inputs needed and used this to make a phenomenological prediction.Comment: 20 pages, 1 figure; v2: comments and references added, accepted for publication in PR

Design of recursive digital filters with linear phase

A recursive digital filter method is presented where given magnitude and linear phase characteristics can be approximated in the frequency domain. The method uses linear programming (LP) which imposes the contraints to be linear in form . To design stable filters, most of the techniques using LP include linear stability constraints that are sufficient but not necessary conditions for stability . Because of this, the filters designed would fall under the classification of a subclass of stable filters . These linear stability constraints complicate the problem . A new approach is used for solving the problem of stability . The filters are assumed to be stable a priori-this allows to simplify the problem formulation -and to verify the stability a posteriori using a criterion . A set of filters are presented to illustrate the improvement achieved with comparison to those obtained by competitive methods .Cet article présente une méthode de conception de filtres numériques RII (Réponse Impulsionnelle Infinie) à phase linéaire . Le problème consiste à approcher au mieux les caractéristiques d'amplitude et de phase définies dans le domaine fréquentiel, préalablement données par l'utilisateur . La méthode proposée utilise la programmation linéaire (PL) qui exige que les contraintes soient mises sous forme linéaire . Pour concevoir des filtres stables, la plupart des méthodes utilisant la PL insèrent dans le problème d'approximation des contraintes de stabilité linéaires suffisantes mais non nécessaires ce qui restreint le champ de recherche des filtres . De plus ces contraintes, supplémentaires vis-à-vis du problème d'approximation lui-même, alourdissent le schéma de résolution . Une nouvelle démarche est utilisée dans cet article pour résoudre le problème de la stabilité des filtres . Celui-ci est traité en deux temps : (a) on suppose que la stabilité est assurée a priori, ce qui permet d'alléger la formulation du problème et (b) on la vérifie a posteriori à l'aide d'un critère . Des exemples de filtres sont donnés illustrant les améliorations apportées comparativement à ceux obtenus par des méthodes concurrentes

Influence of Operational Parameters on Photocatalytic Degradation of Linuron in Aqueous TiO2 Pillared Montmorillonite Suspension

TiO2 pillared clay was prepared by intercalation of titan polyoxocation into interlamelar space of an Algerian montmorillonite and used for the photocatalytic degradation of the linuron herbicide as a target pollutant in aqueous solution. The TiO2 pillared montmorillonite (Mont-TiO2) was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), X-Ray fluorescence (XRF), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), Fourier transformed infra-red (FT-IR), specific area and porosity determinations. This physicochemical characterization pointed to successful TiO2 pillaring of the clay. The prepared material has porous structure and exhibit a good thermal stability as indicated by its surface area after calcination by microwave. The effects of operating parameters such as catalyst loading, initial pH of the solution and the pollutant concentration on the photocatalytic efficiency and COD removal  were evaluated. Under initial pH of the solution around seven, pollutant concentration of 10 mg/L and 2.5 g/L of catalyst at room temperature, the degradation efficiency and COD removal of linuron was best then the other operating conditions. It was observed that operational parameters play a major role in the photocatalytic degradation process. Copyright © 2021 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Chronic myeloid leukemia and HIV-infection

The incidence of non-HIV-associated hematologic malignancies, including chronic myeloproliferative disorders, is increasing in HIV-infected (HIVþ) patients. This is thought to be due to prolonged survival in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Previously, only six cases of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) have been described in HIVþ individuals and limited information is available regarding the management of patients with concurrent CML and HIV- infection. We report three cases of CML in HIVþ patients who were treated with imatinib and HAART. Treatment was generally well tolerated, and cytogenetic response (complete in two patients) was achieved with follow-up ranging from 3 to 69 months. HIV viral load remained undetectable and CD4 cell counts were stable in all three patients. Concurrent treatment with imatinib and HAART can result in appropriate control of CML and HIV-infection as well as long-term survival

Sulphur-rich functionalized calix[4]arenes for selective complexation of Hg2+ over Cu2+, Zn2+ and Cd2+

[Abstract] The syntheses of two new ligands based on a calix[4]arene scaffold in the cone conformation functionalized on the phenolic positions 1 and 3 by diethylthiophosphonates (L1) or tetra(tri)thioethyleneglycol (L2) crowns are described. Together with ligand L3, the parent calix[4]arene substituted by a penta(tetra)thioethyleneglycol crown, the spectroscopic properties of the ligands were determined by means of UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy and steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, showing that the ligands display modest but non-negligible intrinsic fluorescence properties (ϕfluo = 0.023; 0.026 and 0.029 for L1, L2 and L3 in CH2Cl2, respectively). The X-ray crystal structures of ligand L1, and of its synthetic precursor were determined and analyzed for their capacity to accommodate the incoming cationic species. The ligands were further investigated for their complexation properties of divalent cations such as Cu2+, Zn2+, Hg2+ and Cd2+ (under their nitrate salts) in 1:1 CH3CN/CH2Cl2 solutions (I = 0.01 M Et4NNO3, T = 25.0(2) °C), in which the additions of cations were monitored by absorption and steady-state fluorescence spectrophotometries. The stoichiometries of the corresponding complexes were assessed by ESI-MS, while insights into the structures of the complexes in solution were obtained with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The influence of the sulphur and phenol coordinating moieties was addressed to show that the thiocrown compounds L2 and L3 displayed a marked affinity towards the soft mercuric cation (ΔlogK ≥ 2), with no particular size selectivity effect, whereas ligand L1 can accommodate both the thio and phenol units to coordinate with Cu(II). Altogether, these results point to the use of L3 as a selective fluoroionophore for detection of Hg2+

Fluorescence Intensity and Intermittency as Tools for Following Dopamine Bioconjugate Processing in Living Cells

CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) conjugated to biomolecules that quench their fluorescence, particularly dopamine, have particular spectral properties that allow determination of the number of conjugates per particle, namely, photoenhancement and photobleaching. In this work, we quantify these properties on a single-particle and ensemble basis in order to evaluate their usefulness as a tool for indicating QD uptake, breakdown, and processing in living cells. This creates a general framework for the use of fluorescence quenching and intermittency to better understand nanoparticle-cell interactions

Pediatric ALK+ Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma With t(3;8)(q26.2;q24) Translocation and c-myc Rearrangement Terminating in a Leukemic Phase

Pediatric ALK‐positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALK+ ALCL) is usually associated with a favorable prognosis. ALK+ ALCL associated with a leukemic phase is uncommon, but has been associated with an aggressive clinical course and unfavorable prognosis. Overexpression of c‐myc has been shown to be a consistent finding in ALK+, but not ALK‐negative ALCL (ALK− ALCL), and the c‐myc gene is considered a downstream target of deregulated ALK signaling. We describe a pediatric ALK+ ALCL with a leukemic phase at relapse. Similar to other rare cases described in the literature, it followed an aggressive clinical course despite multiple regimens of chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation. Lymphoma cells showed aberrant ALK expression and c‐myc overexpression. In addition to the characteristic t(2;5)(p23;q35) translocation, a t(3;8)(q26.2;q24) translocation was also present, and c‐myc gene rearrangement was confirmed by FISH analysis. The findings in this case demonstrate the association of peripheral blood leukemic involvement and aggressive clinical course, and suggest that other factors, such as c‐myc rearrangement, may be responsible for the aggressive clinical behavior in ALK+ ALCL

Using self-organizing maps to investigate environmental factors regulating colony size and breeding success of the White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)

We studied variations in the size of breeding colonies and in breeding performance of White Storks Ciconia ciconia in 2006–2008 in north-east Algeria. Each colony site was characterized using 12 environmental variables describing the physical environment, land-cover categories, and human activities, and by three demographic parameters: the number of breeding pairs, the number of pairs with chicks, and the number of fledged chicks per pair. Generalized linear mixed models and the self-organizing map algorithm (SOM, neural network) were used to investigate effects of biotic, abiotic, and anthropogenic factors on demographic parameters and on their relationships. Numbers of breeding pairs and of pairs with chicks were affected by the same environmental factors, mainly anthropogenic, which differed from those affecting the number of fledged chicks per pair. Numbers of fledged chicks per pair was not affected by colony size or by the number of nests with chicks. The categorization of the environmental variables into natural and anthropogenic, in connection with demographic parameters, was relevant to detect factors explaining variation in colony size and breeding parameters. The SOM proved a relevant tool to help determine actual dynamics in White Stork colonies, and thus to support effective conservation decisions at a regional scale

Reconfigurable Floating-Point Engines for the Real-Time Simulation of PECs: A

Abstract -The real-time simulation of PMSM drives enables thorough testing of control strategies and allows rapid deployment of automotive applications. However, the simulation of power electronic circuits (PECs) in the context of a PC-based simulation is challenging for several reasons, and imposes a limit in the 1-5 KHz range to the achievable switching frequencies. As FPGA devices gain computing power, conducting the real-time simulation of PECs on chip becomes an attractive alternative. This paper demonstrates the feasibility of high-performance floating-point calculation engines aimed for the real-time simulation of PECs on high-end and low-cost FPGAs as well. The paper discusses emerging paradigms for reconfigurable floating-point computing that favor optimal performance and offer near double precision arithmetic at a minimal hardware cost. A proof of concept is proposed through the on-chip simulation of a 3-phase IGBT inverter drive capable of handling very high switching frequencies