Pentaquark state in pole-dominated QCD sum rules

We propose a new approach in QCD sum rules applied for exotic hadrons with a number of quarks, exemplifying the pentaquark Theta^{+} (I=0,J=1/2) in the Borel sum rule. Our approach enables reliable extraction of the pentaquark properties from the sum rule with good stability in a remarkably wide Borel window. The appearance of its valid window originates from a favorable setup of the correlation functions with the aid of it chirality of the interpolating fields on the analogy of the Weinberg sum rule for the vector currents. Our setup leads to large suppression of the continuum contributions which have spoiled the Borel stability in the previous analyses, and consequently enhances importance of the higher-dimensional contributions of the OPE, which are indispensable for investigating the pentaquark properties. Implementing the OPE analysis up to dimension 15, we find that the sum rules for the chiral-even and odd parts independently give the Theta^{+} mass of 1.68 pm 0.22 GeV with uncertainties of the condensate values. Our sum rule indeed gives rather flat Borel curves almost independent of the continuum thresholds both for the mass and pole residue. Finally, we also discuss possible isolation of the observed states from the KN scattering state on view of chiral symmetry.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure

More evidence of localization in the low-lying Dirac spectrum

We have extended our computation of the inverse participation ratio of low-lying (asqtad) Dirac eigenvectors in quenched SU(3). The scaling dimension of the confining manifold is clearer and very near 3. We have also computed the 2-point correlator which further characterizes the localization.Comment: presented at Lattice2005(Topology and Confinement), Dublin, July 25-30, 2005, 6 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Proceedings of Scienc

Proteomic analysis of embryonic kidney development: Heterochromatin proteins as epigenetic regulators of nephrogenesis

Elucidation of the mechanisms underlying the nephrogenesis will boost enormously the regenerative medicine. Here we performed 2-D gel-based comparative proteome analyses of rat embryonic kidney from different developmental stages. Out of 288 non-redundant identified proteins, 102 were common in all developmental stages. 86% of the proteins found in E14 and E16 were identical, in contrast only 37% of the identified proteins overlap between E14 and P1. Bioinformatics analysis suggests developmental stage-specific pathway activation and highlighted heterochromatin protein 1 (Cbx1, Cbx3, Cbx5) and Trim28 as potential key players in nephrogenesis. These are involved in the epigenetic regulation of gene silencing and were down-regulated in the course of kidney development. Trim28 is a potential epigenetic regulator of the branching inhibitor Bmp4. Silencing of Trim28 in cultured kidneys resulted in branching arrest. In contrast knockdown of Cbx5 was associated with abnormal ureteric bud growth and slight impairment of branching. ChIP analysis showed that the H3K9me3 distribution on Bmp4 promoters at E14 and E19 inversely correlate with mRNA expression levels. The concentrated expression-pattern of heterochromatin proteins and the negative impact of their silencing on kidney development, suggest an important role in reciprocal and inductive signaling between the ureteric bud and the metanephric mesenchyme

Detection and quantification of Aβ−3–40 (APP669‐711) in cerebrospinal fluid

Neurochemical biomarkers can support the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and may facilitate clinical trials. In blood plasma, the ratio of the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides Aβ−3– 40/Aβ1–42 can predict cerebral amyloid-β pathology with high accuracy (Nakamura et al., 2018). Whether or not Aβ−3–40 (aka. amyloid precursor protein (APP) 669– 711) is also present in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is not clear. Here, we investigated whether Aβ−3–40 can be detected in CSF and to what extent the CSF Aβ−3–40/Aβ42 ratio is able to differentiate between individuals with or without amyloid-β positron emission tomography (PET) evidence of brain amyloid. The occurrence of Aβ−3–40 in human CSF was assessed by immunoprecipitation followed by mass spectrometry. For quantifying the CSF concentrations of Aβ−3–40 in 23 amyloid PET- negative and 17 amyloid PET- positive subjects, we applied a sandwich-type immunoassay. Our findings provide clear evidence of the presence of Aβ−3–40 and Aβ−3–38 in human CSF. While there was no statistically significant difference in the CSF concentration of Aβ−3–40 between the two diagnostic groups, the CSF Aβ−3–40/Aβ42 ratio was increased in the amyloid PET- positive individuals. We conclude that Aβ−3– 40 appears to be a regular constituent of CSF and may potentially serve to accentuate the selec- tive decrease in CSF Aβ42 in Alzheimer's disease

The scaling dimension of low lying Dirac eigenmodes and of the topological charge density

As a quantitative measure of localization, the inverse participation ratio of low lying Dirac eigenmodes and topological charge density is calculated on quenched lattices over a wide range of lattice spacings and volumes. Since different topological objects (instantons, vortices, monopoles, and artifacts) have different co-dimension, scaling analysis provides information on the amount of each present and their correlation with the localization of low lying eigenmodes.Comment: Lattice2004(topology), Fermilab, June 21 - 26, 2004; 3 pages, 3 figure

First IBEX observations of the terrestrial plasma sheet and a possible disconnection event

The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission has recently provided the first all-sky maps of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) emitted from the edge of the heliosphere as well as the first observations of ENAs from the Moon and from the magnetosheath stagnation region at the nose of the magnetosphere. This study provides the first IBEX images of the ENA emissions from the nightside magnetosphere and plasma sheet. We show images from two IBEX orbits: one that displays typical plasma sheet emissions, which correlate reasonably well with a model magnetic field, and a second that shows a significant intensification that may indicate a near-Earth (similar to 10 R(E) behind the Earth) disconnection event. IBEX observations from similar to 0.5-6 keV indicate the simultaneous addition of both a hot (several keV) and colder (similar to 700 eV) component during the intensification; if IBEX directly observed magnetic reconnection in the magnetotail, the hot component may signify the plasma energization

The secretome analysis of activated human renal fibroblasts revealed beneficial effect of the modulation of the secreted peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase A in kidney fibrosis

The secretome is an important mediator in the permanent process of reciprocity between cells and their environment. Components of secretome are involved in a large number of physiological mechanisms including differentiation, migration, and extracellular matrix modulation. Alteration in secretome composition may therefore trigger cell transformation, inflammation, and diseases. In the kidney, aberrant protein secretion plays a central role in cell activation and transition and in promoting renal fibrosis onset and progression. Using comparative proteomic analyses, we investigated in the present study the impact of cell transition on renal fibroblast cells secretome. Human renal cell lines were stimulated with profibrotic hormones and cytokines, and alterations in secretome were investigated using proteomic approaches. We identified protein signatures specific for the fibrotic phenotype and investigated the impact of modeling secretome proteins on extra cellular matrix accumulation. The secretion of peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase A (PPIA) was demonstrated to be associated with fibrosis phenotype. We showed that the in-vitro inhibition of PPIA with ciclosporin A (CsA) resulted in downregulation of PPIA and fibronectin (FN1) expression and significantly reduced their secretion. Knockdown studies of PPIA in a three-dimensional (3D) cell culture model significantly impaired the secretion and accumulation of the extracellular matrix (ECM), suggesting a positive therapeutic effect on renal fibrosis progression

Instantons and Monopoles in General Abelian Gauges

A relation between the total instanton number and the quantum-numbers of magnetic monopoles that arise in general Abelian gauges in SU(2) Yang-Mills theory is established. The instanton number is expressed as the sum of the `twists' of all monopoles, where the twist is related to a generalized Hopf invariant. The origin of a stronger relation between instantons and monopoles in the Polyakov gauge is discussed.Comment: 28 pages, 8 figures; comments added to put work into proper contex

Capturing optically important constituents and properties in a marine biogeochemical and ecosystem model

We present a numerical model of the ocean that couples a three-stream radiative transfer component with a marine biogeochemical–ecosystem component in a dynamic three-dimensional physical framework. The radiative transfer component resolves the penetration of spectral irradiance as it is absorbed and scattered within the water column. We explicitly include the effect of several optically important water constituents (different phytoplankton functional types; detrital particles; and coloured dissolved organic matter, CDOM). The model is evaluated against in situ-observed and satellite-derived products. In particular we compare to concurrently measured biogeochemical, ecosystem, and optical data along a meridional transect of the Atlantic Ocean. The simulation captures the patterns and magnitudes of these data, and estimates surface upwelling irradiance analogous to that observed by ocean colour satellite instruments. We find that incorporating the different optically important constituents explicitly and including spectral irradiance was crucial to capture the variability in the depth of the subsurface chlorophyll a (Chl a) maximum. We conduct a series of sensitivity experiments to demonstrate, globally, the relative importance of each of the water constituents, as well as the crucial feedbacks between the light field, the relative fitness of phytoplankton types, and the biogeochemistry of the ocean. CDOM has proportionally more importance at attenuating light at short wavelengths and in more productive waters, phytoplankton absorption is relatively more important at the subsurface Chl a maximum, and water molecules have the greatest contribution when concentrations of other constituents are low, such as in the oligotrophic gyres. Scattering had less effect on attenuation, but since it is important for the amount and type of upwelling irradiance, it is crucial for setting sea surface reflectance. Strikingly, sensitivity experiments in which absorption by any of the optical constituents was increased led to a decrease in the size of the oligotrophic regions of the subtropical gyres: lateral nutrient supplies were enhanced as a result of decreasing high-latitude productivity. This new model that captures bio-optical feedbacks will be important for improving our understanding of the role of light and optical constituents on ocean biogeochemistry, especially in a changing environment. Further, resolving surface upwelling irradiance will make it easier to connect to satellite-derived products in the future