Intersection local times of independent fractional Brownian motions as generalized white noise functionals

In this work we present expansions of intersection local times of fractional Brownian motions in $\R^d$, for any dimension $d\geq 1$, with arbitrary Hurst coefficients in $(0,1)^d$. The expansions are in terms of Wick powers of white noises (corresponding to multiple Wiener integrals), being well-defined in the sense of generalized white noise functionals. As an application of our approach, a sufficient condition on $d$ for the existence of intersection local times in $L^2$ is derived, extending the results of D. Nualart and S. Ortiz-Latorre in "Intersection Local Time for Two Independent Fractional Brownian Motions" (J. Theoret. Probab.,20(4)(2007), 759-767) to different and more general Hurst coefficients.Comment: 28 page

Scalar radiation emitted from a rotating source around a Reissner-Nordstrom black hole

We investigate the radiation emitted from a scalar source in circular orbit around a Reissner-Nordstrom black hole. Particle and energy emission rates are analytically calculated in the low- and high-frequency regimes and shown to be in full agreement with a numerical calculation. Our investigation is connected with the recent discussion on the validity of the cosmic censorship conjecture in the quantum realm.Comment: 7 pages, 9 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

New insights into the antimicrobial action of cinnamaldehyde towards escherichia coli and its effects on intestinal colonization of mice

Escherichia coli is responsible for cases of diarrhea around the world, and some studies have shown the benefits of cinnamaldehyde in the treatment of bacterial disease. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of cinnamaldehyde in mice colonized by pathogenic E. coli, as well as to provide more insights into its antimicrobial action mechanism. After determination of minimum inhibitory (MIC) and minimum bactericidal (MBC) concentrations, the interference of cinnamaldehyde in macromolecular pathways (synthesis of DNA, RNA, protein, and cell wall) was measured by incorporation of radioisotopes. The anti-adhesive properties of cinnamaldehyde towards E. coli 042 were evaluated using human epithelial type 2 (HEp-2) cells. Intestinal colonization was tested on mice, and the effect of cinnamaldehyde on Tenebrio molitor larvae. Cinnamaldehyde showed MIC and MBC values of 780 μg/mL and 1560 μg/mL, respectively; reduced the adhesion of E. coli 042 on HEp-2 cells; and affected all the synthetic pathways evaluated, suggesting that compost impairs the membrane/cell wall structure leading bacteria to total collapse. No effect on the expression of genes related to the SOS pathway (sulA and dinB1) was observed. The compound did not interfere with cell viability and was not toxic against T. molitor larvae. In addition, cinnamaldehyde-treated mice exhibited lower levels of colonization by E. coli 042 than the untreated group. Therefore, the results show that cinnamaldehyde is effective in treating the pathogenic E. coli strain 042 and confirm it as a promising lead molecule for the development of antimicrobial agents

Targeting the Immune System with Plant Lectins to Combat Microbial Infections

The arsenal of drugs available to treat infections caused by eukaryotic and prokaryotic microbes has been declining exponentially due to antimicrobial resistance phenomenon, leading to an urgent need to develop new therapeutic strategies. Host-directed immunotherapy has been reported as an attractive option to treat microbial infections. It consists in the improvement of host defenses by increasing the expression of inflammatory mediators and/or controlling of inflammation-induced tissue injury. Although the in vitro antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities of lectins have been extensively demonstrated, few studies have evaluated their in vivo effects on experimental models of infections. This review aims to highlight the experimental use of immunomodulatory plant lectins to improve the host immune response against microbial infections. Lectins have been used in vivo both prophylactically and therapeutically resulting in the increased survival of mice under microbial challenge. Other studies successfully demonstrated that lectins could be used in combination with parasite antigens in order to induce a more efficient immunization. Therefore, these plant lectins represent new candidates for management of microbial infections. Furthermore, immunotherapeutic studies have improved our knowledge about the mechanisms involved in host–pathogen interactions, and may also help in the discovery of new drug targets

Thermodynamic Properties of Three Pyridine Carboxylic Acid Methyl Ester Isomers

This article discusses the thermodynamic properties of three pyridine carboxylic acid methyl ester isomers