1,265 research outputs found
Cosmological Implications of the Tetron Model of Elementary Particles
Based on a possible solution to the tetron spin problem, a modification of
the standard Big Bang scenario is suggested, where the advent of a spacetime
manifold is connected to the appearance of tetronic bound states. The metric
tensor is constructed from tetron constituents and the reason for cosmic
inflation is elucidated. Furthermore, there are natural dark matter candidates
in the tetron model. The ratio of ordinary to dark matter in the universe is
calculated to be 1:5.Comment: 23 page
Evolution of ground state and upper critical field in R(1-x)GdxNi2B2C (R = Lu, Y): Coexistence of superconductivity and spin-glass state
We report effects of local magnetic moment, Gd3+, doping (x =< 0.3) on
superconducting and magnetic properties of the closely related Lu(1-x)GdxNi2B2C
and Y(1-x)GdxNi2B2C series. The superconducting transition temperature
decreases and the heat capacity jump associated with it drops rapidly with
Gd-doping; qualitative changes with doping are also observed in the
temperature-dependent upper critical field behavior, and a region of
coexistence of superconductivity and spin-glass state is delineated on the x -
T phase diagram. The evolution of superconducting properties can be understood
within Abrikosov-Gor'kov theory of magnetic impurities in superconductors
taking into account the paramagnetic effect on upper critical field with
additional contributions particular for the family under study
Respiratory health status is impaired in UK HIV-positive adults with virologically suppressed HIV infection
OBJECTIVES: We sought to evaluate whether people living with HIV (PLWH) using effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) have worse respiratory health status than similar HIV-negative individuals. METHODS: We recruited 197 HIV-positive and 93 HIV-negative adults from HIV and sexual health clinics. They completed a questionnaire regarding risk factors for respiratory illness. Respiratory health status was assessed using the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and the Medical Research Council (MRC) breathlessness scale. Subjects underwent spirometry without bronchodilation. RESULTS: PLWH had worse respiratory health status: the median SGRQ Total score was 12 [interquartile range (IQR) 6-25] in HIV-positive subjects vs. 6 (IQR 2-14) in HIV-negative subjects (P < 0.001); breathlessness was common in the HIV-positive group, where 47% compared with 24% had an MRC breathlessness score ≥ 2 (P = 0.001). Eighteen (11%) HIV-positive and seven (9%) HIV-negative participants had airflow obstruction. In multivariable analyses (adjusted for age, gender, smoking, body mass index and depression), HIV infection remained associated with higher SGRQ and MRC scores, with an adjusted fold-change in SGRQ Total score of 1.54 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.14-2.09; P = 0.005] and adjusted odds ratio of having an MRC score of ≥ 2 of 2.45 (95% CI 1.15-5.20; P = 0.02). Similar findings were obtained when analyses were repeated including only HIV-positive participants with a viral load < 40 HIV-1 RNA copies/mL. CONCLUSIONS: Despite effective ART, impaired respiratory health appears more common in HIV-positive adults, and has a significant impact on health-related quality of life
Symptoms are highly prevalent among HIV outpatients and associated with poor adherence and unprotected sexual intercourse
Radio-frequency discharges in Oxygen. Part 1: Modeling
In this series of three papers we present results from a combined
experimental and theoretical effort to quantitatively describe capacitively
coupled radio-frequency discharges in oxygen. The particle-in-cell Monte-Carlo
model on which the theoretical description is based will be described in the
present paper. It treats space charge fields and transport processes on an
equal footing with the most important plasma-chemical reactions. For given
external voltage and pressure, the model determines the electric potential
within the discharge and the distribution functions for electrons, negatively
charged atomic oxygen, and positively charged molecular oxygen. Previously used
scattering and reaction cross section data are critically assessed and in some
cases modified. To validate our model, we compare the densities in the bulk of
the discharge with experimental data and find good agreement, indicating that
essential aspects of an oxygen discharge are captured.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figure
Cluster algebras in algebraic Lie theory
We survey some recent constructions of cluster algebra structures on
coordinate rings of unipotent subgroups and unipotent cells of Kac-Moody
groups. We also review a quantized version of these results.Comment: Invited survey; to appear in Transformation Group
Structure functions for the three nucleon system
The spectral functions and light-cone momentum distributions of protons and
neutrons in 3He and 3H are given in terms of the three-nucleon wave function
for realistic nucleon-nucleon interactions. To reduce computational complexity,
separable expansions are employed for the nucleon-nucleon potentials. The
results for the light-cone momentum distributions suggest that they are not
very sensitive to the details of the two-body interaction, as long as it has
reasonable short-range repulsion. The unpolarised and polarised structure
functions are examined for both 3He and 3H in order to test the usefulness of
3He as a neutron target. It is found that the measurement of the spin structure
function of polarised 3H would provide a very clear test of the predicted
change in the polarised parton distributions of a bound proton.Comment: 30 pages, REVTeX, 11 figure
Ethnicity and sexual risk in heterosexual people attending sexual health clinics in England: a cross-sectional, self-administered questionnaire study.
OBJECTIVES: In the UK, people of black ethnicity experience a disproportionate burden of HIV and STI. We aimed to assess the association of ethnicity with sexual behaviour and sexual health among women and heterosexual men attending genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics in England. METHODS: The Attitudes to and Understanding of Risk of Acquisition of HIV is a cross-sectional, self-administered questionnaire study of HIV negative people recruited from 20 GUM clinics in England, 2013-2014. Modified Poisson regression with robust SEs was used to calculate adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) for the association between ethnicity and various sexual risk behaviours, adjusted for age, study region, education and relationship status. RESULTS: Questionnaires were completed by 1146 individuals, 676 women and 470 heterosexual men. Ethnicity was recorded for 1131 (98.8%) participants: 550 (48.6%) black/mixed African, 168 (14.9%) black/mixed Caribbean, 308 (27.2%) white ethnic groups, 105 (9.3%) other ethnicity. Compared with women from white ethnic groups, black/mixed African women were less likely to report condomless sex with a non-regular partner (aPR (95% CI) 0.67 (0.51 to 0.88)), black/mixed African and black/mixed Caribbean women were less likely to report two or more new partners (0.42 (0.32 to 0.55) and 0.44 (0.29 to 0.65), respectively), and black/mixed Caribbean women were more likely to report an STI diagnosis (1.56 (1.00 to 2.42)). Compared with men from white ethnic groups, black/mixed Caribbean men were more likely to report an STI diagnosis (1.91 (1.20 to 3.04)), but did not report risk behaviours more frequently. Men and women of black/mixed Caribbean ethnicity remained more likely to report STI history after adjustment for sexual risk behaviours. DISCUSSION: Risk behaviours were reported less frequently by women of black ethnicity; however, history of STI was more prevalent among black/mixed Caribbean women. In black/mixed Caribbean men, higher STI history was not explained by ethnic variation in reported risk behaviours. The association between STI and black/mixed Caribbean ethnicity remained after adjustment for risk behaviours
PROTOCOL: Organised crime groups: A systematic review of individual\u2010level risk factors related to recruitment
This article presents the protocol for a systematic review of individual\u2010level risk factors related to recruitment into organised crime group
Artemin, a Novel Member of the GDNF Ligand Family, Supports Peripheral and Central Neurons and Signals through the GFRα3–RET Receptor Complex
AbstractThe glial cell line–derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) ligands (GDNF, Neurturin [NTN], and Persephin [PSP]) signal through a multicomponent receptor system composed of a high-affinity binding component (GFRα1–GFRα4) and a common signaling component (RET). Here, we report the identification of Artemin, a novel member of the GDNF family, and demonstrate that it is the ligand for the former orphan receptor GFRα3–RET. Artemin is a survival factor for sensory and sympathetic neurons in culture, and its expression pattern suggests that it also influences these neurons in vivo. Artemin can also activate the GFRα1–RET complex and supports the survival of dopaminergic midbrain neurons in culture, indicating that like GDNF (GFRα1–RET) and NTN (GFRα2–RET), Artemin has a preferred receptor (GFRα3–RET) but that alternative receptor interactions also occur
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