688 research outputs found
New physics for muon anomalous magnetic moment and its electroweak precision analysis
About 3 sigma deviation from the standard model prediction of muon anomalous
magnetic moment (muon g-2) has been reported. We consider new physics beyond
the standard model which has new Yukawa interactions with muon. We compute new
contributions to muon g-2 and corrections to electroweak observables, and show
the consistent region of parameter space. We find that in a simple model where
the chirality flip of muon occurs only in the external muon line in one-loop
muon g-2 diagrams, it is necessary to introduce the relatively large new Yukawa
coupling and the electroweak scale new particles. On the other hand, in a model
where the chirality flip can occur in the internal fermion line of one loop
muon g-2 diagrams, we can obtain favorable g-2 contributions without large
Yukawa coupling, and they are consistent with the precision electroweak
observables. Finally, we discuss effects of new particles for muon g-2 on the
Higgs boson decay h to 2 photons and direct productions of these particles at
the LHC experiment.Comment: 31 pages, 20 figure
A new method to establish the rational extent of hepatic resection for advanced gallbladder cancer using dye injection through the cystic artery
BackgroundHepatic resection has been indicated to eliminate cancer at the surgical margin in cases of advanced gallbladder carcinoma, but there is considerable controversy about the reasonable extent of liver resection. A new on‐table dye injection technique has been introduced to determine the venous drainage of the gallbladder and ascertain the amount of liver to remove.MethodsIn four hepatic resections for pT2 gallbladder cancer, indocyanine green solution (25 mg/20 ml) was injected over a period of 30 seconds through the cystic artery. The stained area of the liver surface was completely resected, maintaining a margin of at least 2 cm from the gallbladder.ResultsThe entire serosal surface of the gallbladder takes on a light green stain immediately after dye injection, and then the liver surface around the gallbladder gradually becomes stained with a clear demarcation line. The distance between the demarcation line and the gallbladder ranged from 1.0 to 5.0 cm. The extent of the stained area differed from one individual to another. Histopathological examination of resected liver specimens revealed that one of the four resected livers had micrometastasis in the portal area 27 mm from the gallbladder wall and there were no cancer cells at the surgical margins. No recurrence has been seen in any of our 4 patients at 16–26 months after operation.DiscussionThe dye injection method is useful in determining the appropriate extent of hepatic resection for advanced gallbladder cancer, as it is possible to determine the necessary and sufficient amount of liver parenchyma that should be removed according to the perfusion area of the cystic veins in each individual patient
Optical echo in photonic crystals
The dynamics of photonic wavepacket in the effective oscillator potential is
studied. The oscillator potential is constructed on a base of one dimensional
photonic crystal with a period of unit cell adiabatically varied in space. The
structure has a locally equidistant discrete spectrum. This leads to an echo
effect, i.e. the periodical reconstruction of the packet shape. The effect can
be observed in a nonlinear response of the system. Numerical estimations for
porous-silicon based structures are presented for femtosecond Ti:Sapphire laser
pump.Comment: 4 page
Optical properties of structurally-relaxed Si/SiO superlattices: the role of bonding at interfaces
We have constructed microscopic, structurally-relaxed atomistic models of
Si/SiO superlattices. The structural distortion and oxidation-state
characteristics of the interface Si atoms are examined in detail. The role
played by the interface Si suboxides in raising the band gap and producing
dispersionless energy bands is established. The suboxide atoms are shown to
generate an abrupt interface layer about 1.60 \AA thick. Bandstructure and
optical-absorption calculations at the Fermi Golden rule level are used to
demonstrate that increasing confinement leads to (a) direct bandgaps (b) a blue
shift in the spectrum, and (c) an enhancement of the absorption intensity in
the threshold-energy region. Some aspects of this behaviour appear not only in
the symmetry direction associated with the superlattice axis, but also in the
orthogonal plane directions. We conclude that, in contrast to Si/Ge, Si/SiO
superlattices show clear optical enhancement and a shift of the optical
spectrum into the region useful for many opto-electronic applications.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures (submitted to Phys. Rev. B
Size-controlled quantum dots reveal the impact of intraband transitions on high-order harmonic generation in solids
Since the discovery of high-order harmonic generation (HHG) in solids1,2,3, much effort has been devoted to understand its generation mechanism and both inter- and intraband transitions are known to be essential1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10. However, intraband transitions are affected by the electronic structure of a solid, and how they contribute to nonlinear carrier generation and HHG remains an open question. Here we use mid-infrared laser pulses to study HHG in CdSe and CdS quantum dots, where quantum confinement can be used to control the intraband transitions. We find that both HHG intensity per excited volume and generated carrier density increase when the average quantum dot size is increased from about 2 to 3 nm. We show that the reduction in sub-bandgap energy in larger quantum dots enhances intraband transitions, and this—in turn—increases the rate of photocarrier injection by coupling with interband transitions, resulting in enhanced HHG
Direct observation of free excitons in luminescence spectra of xenon clusters
Luminescence of surface and free bulk excitons is detected in xenon for the
first time for substrate-free rare-gas clusters. Xenon clusters were produced
by the method of gas condensation in a supersonic jet emitted into vacuum.
Optical study was accompanied by electron diffraction measurements to determine
the structure of clusters.Comment: The more complete version of the paper is to be published in 'Low
Temperature Physics' (2007
Physics of the Riemann Hypothesis
Physicists become acquainted with special functions early in their studies.
Consider our perennial model, the harmonic oscillator, for which we need
Hermite functions, or the Laguerre functions in quantum mechanics. Here we
choose a particular number theoretical function, the Riemann zeta function and
examine its influence in the realm of physics and also how physics may be
suggestive for the resolution of one of mathematics' most famous unconfirmed
conjectures, the Riemann Hypothesis. Does physics hold an essential key to the
solution for this more than hundred-year-old problem? In this work we examine
numerous models from different branches of physics, from classical mechanics to
statistical physics, where this function plays an integral role. We also see
how this function is related to quantum chaos and how its pole-structure
encodes when particles can undergo Bose-Einstein condensation at low
temperature. Throughout these examinations we highlight how physics can perhaps
shed light on the Riemann Hypothesis. Naturally, our aim could not be to be
comprehensive, rather we focus on the major models and aim to give an informed
starting point for the interested Reader.Comment: 27 pages, 9 figure
Elevated creatine kinase activity in primary hepatocellular carcinoma
BACKGROUND: Inconsistent findings have been reported on the occurrence and relevance of creatine kinase (CK) isoenzymes in mammalian liver cells. Part of this confusion might be due to induction of CK expression during metabolic and energetic stress. METHODS: The specific activities and isoenzyme patterns of CK and adenylate kinase (AdK) were analysed in pathological liver tissue of patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation. RESULTS: The brain-type, cytosolic BB-CK isoenzyme was detected in all liver specimens analysed. Conversely, CK activity was strongly increased and a mitochondrial CK (Mi-CK) isoenzyme was detected only in tissue samples of two primary hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). CONCLUSION: The findings do not support significant expression of CK in normal liver and most liver pathologies. Instead, many of the previous misconceptions in this field can be explained by interference from AdK isoenzymes. Moreover, the data suggest a possible interplay between p53 mutations, HCC, CK expression, and the growth-inhibitory effects of cyclocreatine in HCC. These results, if confirmed, could provide important hints at improved therapies and cures for HCC
Role of chymase in cigarette smoke-induced pulmonary artery remodeling and pulmonary hypertension in hamsters
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cigarette smoking is an important risk factor for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Chymase has been shown to function in the enzymatic production of angiotensin II (AngII) and the activation of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 in the cardiovascular system. The aim of this study was to determine the potential role of chymase in cigarette smoke-induced pulmonary artery remodeling and PAH.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Hamsters were exposed to cigarette smoke; after 4 months, lung morphology and tissue biochemical changes were examined using immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, radioimmunoassay and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our results show that chronic cigarette smoke exposure significantly induced elevation of right ventricular systolic pressures (RVSP) and medial hypertrophy of pulmonary arterioles in hamsters, concurrent with an increase of chymase activity and synthesis in the lung. Elevated Ang II levels and enhanced TGF-β1/Smad signaling activation were also observed in smoke-exposed lungs. Chymase inhibition with chymostatin reduced the cigarette smoke-induced increase in chymase activity and Ang II concentration in the lung, and attenuated the RVSP elevation and the remodeling of pulmonary arterioles. Chymostatin did not affect angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity in hamster lungs.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These results suggest that chronic cigarette smoke exposure can increase chymase activity and expression in hamster lungs. The capability of activated chymase to induce Ang II formation and TGF-β1 signaling may be part of the mechanism for smoking-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling. Thus, our study implies that blockade of chymase might provide benefits to PAH smokers.</p
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