Chiral Symmetry and N*(1440) -> N pi pi Decay

The N*(1440) -> N pi pi decay is studied by making use of the chiral reduction formula. This formula suggests a scalar-isoscalar pion-baryon contact interaction which is absent in the recent study of Hern{\'a}ndez et al. The contact interaction is introduced into their model, and is found to be necessary for the simultaneous description of g_{RN pi pi} and the pi-pi and pi-N invariant mass distributions.Comment: 12 page

Master formula approach to broken chiral U(3)xU(3) symmetry

The master formula approach to chiral symmetry breaking proposed by Yamagishi and Zahed is extended to the U_R(3)xU_L(3) group, in which effects of the U_A(1) anomaly and the flavor symmetry breaking m_u \not= m_d \not= m_s are properly contained. New identities for the gluon topological susceptibility and pi^0, eta, eta' -> gamma^(*) gamma^(*) decays are derived, which exactly embody the consequence from broken chiral symmetry in QCD without relying on any unphysical limit.Comment: Version to appear in PRD, 25 page

Study of excited nucleon states at EBAC: status and plans

We present an overview of a research program for the excited nucleon states in Excited Baryon Analysis Center (EBAC) at Jefferson Lab. Current status of our analysis of the meson production reactions based on the unitary dynamical coupled-channels model is summarized, and the N* pole positions extracted from the constructed scattering amplitudes are presented. Our plans for future developments are also discussed.Comment: Plenary talk given at Workshop on the Physics of Excited Nucleon -- NSTAR2009, Beijing, April 19-22, 2009. 8 pages, 8 figure

Double and single pion photoproduction within a dynamical coupled-channels model

Within a dynamical coupled-channels model which has already been fixed from analyzing the data of the pi N -> pi N and gamma N -> pi N reactions, we present the predicted double pion photoproduction cross sections up to the second resonance region, W< 1.7 GeV. The roles played by the different mechanisms within our model in determining both the single and double pion photoproduction reactions are analyzed, focusing on the effects due to the direct gamma N -> pi pi N mechanism, the interplay between the resonant and non-resonant amplitudes, and the coupled-channels effects. The model parameters which can be determined most effectively in the combined studies of both the single and double pion photoproduction data are identified for future studies.Comment: Version to appear in PRC. 16 pages, 13 figure

Use and efficacy of low temperature plasma in foods: promising intervention on aflatoxin control in maize in Kenya – a review

Maize (Zea mays var. indentata L.) is the most important food security crop in Kenya and plays an important role in human nutrition. Mycotoxins (MTs) are fungal toxic metabolites which naturally contaminate food and feed. When ingested, inhaled or adsorbed through the skin, even in very small concentrations, are associated with various cancers, retarded growth, suppressed immunity and mutations among other complications. Aflatoxins especially aflatoxin B1, are considered the most lethal in the group of more than three hundred known mycotoxins. In Kenya, aflatoxin contamination in maize leads to huge losses in the country’s breadbasket and also in the grain reserves. One of the possible methods for control of the aflatoxin menace in maize would be through the use of plasma technology. Plasma, an electrically energized matter in form of a gas that is generated at different atmospheric pressures, has several uses. At low temperature, it makes the process of decontamination practical, inexpensive and suitable for products whereby use of heat is not desired. Non thermal plasma, a new discipline in food processing has been shown to destroy microorganisms including spores to undetectable levels. Over the years, there has been increased concern over the rising cases of aflatoxin poisoning in Kenya due to contaminated maize. The presence of aflatoxins is promoted by various factors, among them poor storage conditions, soil type, insect activity and drought conditions before harvest. Several measures including use of hermetic storage types such as pics (Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage) bags to store maize and proper drying of maize to the right moisture content to discourage mould growth have been suggested and used to tackle the aflatoxin menace. In Mexico and Caribbean countries, nixtamalization is widely practised and has been used to reduce aflatoxin in tortilla. Nixtamilization involves cooking the maize in an alkaline solution resulting in detoxification. The traditional nixtamalization and extrusion cooking processes have been combined in making of the dough (masa) for corn tortillas and have shown better success in elimination of aflatoxin. The main challenge with the use of this method of detoxification is acidification of aflatoxin extracts, which occurs during digestion and can lead to a rebuilding of the aflatoxin molecule leading to poisoning. The application of low temperature plasma technology can bring much needed reprieve in tackling the aflatoxin menace in maize and other foods both in Kenya and even worldwide

Dynamical coupled-channels analysis of 1H(e,e'pi)N reactions

We have performed a dynamical coupled-channels analysis of available p(e,e'pi)N data in the region of W < 1.6 GeV and Q^2 < 1.45 (GeV/c)^2. The channels included are gamma^* N, pi N, eta N, and pi pi N which has pi Delta, rho N, and sigma N components. With the hadronic parameters of the model determined in our previous investigations of pi N --> pi N, pi pi N reactions, we have found that the available data in the considered W < 1.6 GeV region can be fitted well by only adjusting the bare gamma^* N --> N^* helicity amplitudes for the lowest N^* states in P33, P11, S11 and D13 partial waves. The sensitivity of the resulting parameters to the amount of data included in the analysis is investigated. The importance of coupled-channels effect on the p(e,e' pi)N cross sections is demonstrated. The meson cloud effects, as required by the unitarity conditions, on the gamma^* N --> N^* form factors are also examined. Necessary future developments, both experimentally and theoretically, are discussed.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures. Version to appear in PR

Prevalence of Gestational Diabetes in Hospitals in the City of Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo: Case of the Jason Sendwe General Reference Hospital in 2015 to 2019

Gestational diabetes is defined as a carbohydrate tolerance disorder leading to hyperglycaemia of varying severity, occurring or first diagnosed during pregnancy, regardless of the treatment required and the course of the postpartum period. Its prevalence has been estimated at between 2.2% and 8.8% of pregnancies, depending on the populations studied and the screening criteria used. We determined the prevalence of gestational diabetes at the Jason Sendwe General Referral Hospital. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out from January 2015 to December 2019 at Sendwe Hospital. It concerned 48 pregnant women from 24 weeks of pregnancy. The diagnosis of gestational diabetes was made by blood glucose obtained with the O'Sullivan test or by fasting blood glucose. The prevalence of gestational diabetes was 2.15%. Modifiable and non-modifiable factors associated with gestational diabetes in this study are age ≥ 35 years, parity, history of macrosomia, and history of type 2 diabetes in the surrogates of the pregnancies. The prevalence rate remains high and shows that gestational diabetes is a public health problem in the city of Lubumbashi. The O'Sullivan test is a valid alternative for its good detection. We found that age, especially after 35 years is the major determinant of gestational diabetes in the population living in Lubumbashi

Symptoms of depression among patients attending a diabetes care clinic in rural western Kenya

Objective: The prevalence of diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa is rising, but its relationship to depression is not well-characterized. This report describes depressive symptom prevalence and associations with adherence and outcomes among patients with diabetes in a rural, resource-constrained setting. Methods: In the Webuye, Kenya diabetes clinic, we conducted a chart review, analyzing data including medication adherence, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), clinic attendance, and PHQ-2 depression screening results. Results: Among 253 patients, 20.9% screened positive for depression. Prevalence in females was higher than in males; 27% vs 15% (p = 0.023). Glycemic control trends were better in those screening negative; at 24 months post-enrollment mean HbA1c was 7.5 for those screening negative and 9.5 for those screening positive (p = 0.0025). There was a nonsignificant (p = 0.269) trend toward loss to follow-up among those screening positive. Conclusions: These findings suggest that depression is common among people with diabetes in rural western Kenya, which may profoundly impact diabetes control and treatment adherence