Glueball Matrix Elements on Anisotropic Lattices

The glueball-to-vacuum matrix elements of local gluonic operators in scalar, tensor, and pseudoscalar channels are investigated numerically on several anisotropic lattices with the spatial lattice spacing in the range 0.1fm -- 0.2fm. These matrix elements are needed to predict the glueball branching ratios in $J/\psi$ radiative decays which will help to identify the glueball states in experiments. Two types of improved local gluonic operators are constructed for a self-consistent check, and the finite volume effects are also studied. The lattice spacing dependence of our results is very small and the continuum limits are reliably extrapolated.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures, Lattice2003 (spectrum

Seasonal variation in denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia process rates and corresponding key functional genes along an estuarine nitrate gradient

This research investigated spatial-temporal variation in benthic bacterial community structure, rates of denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) processes and abundances of corresponding genes and transcripts at three sites—the estuary-head, mid-estuary and the estuary mouth (EM) along the nitrate gradient of the Colne estuary over an annual cycle. Denitrification rates declined down the estuary, while DNRA rates were higher at the estuary head and middle than the EM. In four out of the six 2-monthly time-points, rates of DNRA were greater than denitrification at each site. Abundance of gene markers for nitrate-reduction (nitrate reductase narG and napA), denitrification (nitrite reductase nirS) and DNRA (DNRA nitrite reductase nrfA) declined along the estuary with significant relationships between denitrification and nirS abundance, and DNRA and nrfA abundance. Spatially, rates of denitrification, DNRA and corresponding functional gene abundances decreased along the estuary. However, temporal correlations between rate processes and functional gene and transcript abundances were not observed

Probing onset of strong localization and electron-electron interactions with the presence of direct insulator-quantum Hall transition

We have performed low-temperature transport measurements on a disordered two-dimensional electron system (2DES). Features of the strong localization leading to the quantum Hall effect are observed after the 2DES undergoes a direct insulator-quantum Hall transition with increasing the perpendicular magnetic field. However, such a transition does not correspond to the onset of strong localization. The temperature dependences of the Hall resistivity and Hall conductivity reveal the importance of the electron-electron interaction effects to the observed transition in our study.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure

Energy band structure and intrinsic coherent properties in two weakly linked Bose Einstein Condensates

The energy band structure and energy splitting due to quantum tunneling in two weakly linked Bose-Einstein condensates were calculated by using the instanton method. The intrinsic coherent properties of Bose Josephson junction were investigated in terms of energy splitting. For $E_{C}/E_{J}\ll 1$, the energy splitting is small and the system is globally phase coherent. In the opposite limit, $E_{C}/E_{J}\gg 1$, the energy splitting is large and the system becomes a phase dissipation. Our reslults suggest that one should investigate the coherence phenomna of BJJ in proper condition such as $E_{C}/E_{J}\sim 1$.Comment: to appear in Phys. Rev. A, 2 figure

Exploring multiple drivers of cooperative governance: a paired case comparison of vegetable growing cooperatives in the UK and China

This is the final version. Available on open access from Wageningen Academic Publishers via the DOI in this record. Farmers’ collective action via cooperatives is critical to achieving a wide range of economic and social benefits that lead to sustainable development and enhance the welfare of rural communities. Adopting a qualitative case study method, the paper compares the development and governance attributes of two cooperatives and seeks to identify how non-economic conditions explain their differences. The cases are selected from the United Kingdom and China, representing different cultural and legislation contexts, to explore the role of culture and legislation in formulating the governance of farmer cooperatives. The results demonstrate that: (1) the formation of member groups due to considerable member heterogeneity may lead to the skewed allocation of control rights and income rights; (2) legislation play an important role in formulating the governance of cooperatives; and (3) national culture potentially has influence on cooperative governance, but direct evidence is in insufficient.National Planning Office of Philosophy and Social ScienceBritish Academ

GPU-based Iterative Cone Beam CT Reconstruction Using Tight Frame Regularization

X-ray imaging dose from serial cone-beam CT (CBCT) scans raises a clinical concern in most image guided radiation therapy procedures. It is the goal of this paper to develop a fast GPU-based algorithm to reconstruct high quality CBCT images from undersampled and noisy projection data so as to lower the imaging dose. For this purpose, we have developed an iterative tight frame (TF) based CBCT reconstruction algorithm. A condition that a real CBCT image has a sparse representation under a TF basis is imposed in the iteration process as regularization to the solution. To speed up the computation, a multi-grid method is employed. Our GPU implementation has achieved high computational efficiency and a CBCT image of resolution 512\times512\times70 can be reconstructed in ~5 min. We have tested our algorithm on a digital NCAT phantom and a physical Catphan phantom. It is found that our TF-based algorithm is able to reconstrct CBCT in the context of undersampling and low mAs levels. We have also quantitatively analyzed the reconstructed CBCT image quality in terms of modulation-transfer-function and contrast-to-noise ratio under various scanning conditions. The results confirm the high CBCT image quality obtained from our TF algorithm. Moreover, our algorithm has also been validated in a real clinical context using a head-and-neck patient case. Comparisons of the developed TF algorithm and the current state-of-the-art TV algorithm have also been made in various cases studied in terms of reconstructed image quality and computation efficiency.Comment: 24 pages, 8 figures, accepted by Phys. Med. Bio

Reexamination of a multisetting Bell inequality for qudits

The class of d-setting, d-outcome Bell inequalities proposed by Ji and collaborators [Phys. Rev. A 78, 052103] are reexamined. For every positive integer d > 2, we show that the corresponding non-trivial Bell inequality for probabilities provides the maximum classical winning probability of the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt-like game with d inputs and d outputs. We also demonstrate that the general classical upper bounds given by Ji et al. are underestimated, which invalidates many of the corresponding correlation inequalities presented thereof. We remedy this problem, partially, by providing the actual classical upper bound for d less than or equal to 13 (including non-prime values of d). We further determine that for prime value d in this range, most of these probability and correlation inequalities are tight, i.e., facet-inducing for the respective classical correlation polytope. Stronger lower and upper bounds on the quantum violation of these inequalities are obtained. In particular, we prove that once the probability inequalities are given, their correlation counterparts given by Ji and co-workers are no longer relevant in terms of detecting the entanglement of a quantum state.Comment: v3: Published version (minor rewordings, typos corrected, upper bounds in Table III improved/corrected); v2: 7 pages, 1 figure, 4 tables (substantially revised with new results on the tightness of the correlation inequalities included); v1: 7.5 pages, 1 figure, 4 tables (Comments are welcome

In vitro and in vivo characterization of potent antileishmanial methionine aminopeptidase 1 inhibitors

Leishmania major is the causative agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). No human vaccine is available for CL, and current drug regimens present several drawbacks, such as emerging resistance, severe toxicity, medium effectiveness, and/or high cost. Thus, the need for better treatment options against CL is a priority. In the present study, we validate the enzyme methionine aminopeptidase 1 of L. major (MetAP1Lm), a metalloprotease that catalyzes the removal of N-terminal methionine from peptides and proteins, as a chemotherapeutic target against CL infection. The in vitro antileishmanial activities of eight novel MetAP1 inhibitors (OJT001 to OJT008) were investigated. Three compounds, OJT006, OJT007, and OJT008, demonstrated potent antiproliferative effects in macrophages infected with L. major amastigotes and promastigotes at submicromolar concentrations, with no cytotoxicity against host cells. Importantly, the leishmanicidal effect in transgenic L. major promastigotes overexpressing MetAP1Lm was diminished by almost 10-fold in comparison to the effect in wild-type promastigotes. Furthermore, the in vivo activities of OJT006, OJT007, and OJT008 were investigated in L. major-infected BALB/c mice. In comparison to the footpad parasite load in the control group, OJT008 decreased the footpad parasite load significantly, by 86%, and exhibited no toxicity in treated mice. We propose MetAP1 inhibitor OJT008 as a potential chemotherapeutic candidate against CL infection caused by L. major infection