The baryonic Y-shape confining potential energy and its approximants

We discuss the validity of replacing the complicated three-body confinement operator of the Y string junction type by three kinds of approximation which are numerically much simpler to handle: a one-body operator with the junction point at the centre of mass, a two-body operator corresponding to half the perimeter of the triangle formed by the three particles, and the average of both. Two different approaches for testing the quality of the approximations are proposed: a geometrical treatment based on the comparison of the potential energy strengths for the various inter quark distances, and a dynamical treatment based on the comparison of the corresponding effective string tensions using a hyperspherical approach. Both procedures give very similar results. It is shown how to simulate the genuine string junction operator by the approximations proposed above. Exact three-body calculations are presented in order to compare quantitatively the various approximations and to confirm our analysis.Comment: 28 pages, 5 figures, submitted to EPJ

Pentaquarks in the Jaffe-Wilczek approximation

The masses of $uudd\bar s$, $uudd\bar d$ and $uuss\bar d$ pentaquarks are evaluated in a framework of both the Effective Hamiltonian approach to QCD and spinless Salpeter using the Jaffe--Wilczek diquark approximation and the string interaction for the diquark--diquark--antiquark system. The pentaquark masses are found to be in the region above 2 GeV. That indicates that the Goldstone boson exchange effects may play an important role in the light pentaquarks. The same calculations yield the mass of $[ud]^2\bar c$ pentaquark $\sim$ 3250 MeV and $[ud]^2\bar b$ pentaquark $\sim$ 6509 MeV.Comment: 14 pages, 2 tables, LaTeX2e. References correcte

Baryon spectra with instanton induced forces

Except the vibrational excitations of $K$ and $K^*$ mesons, the main features of spectra of mesons composed of quarks $u$, $d$, and $s$ can be quite well described by a semirelativistic potential model including instanton induced forces. The spectra of baryons composed of the same quarks is studied using the same model. The results and the limitations of this approach are described. Some possible improvements are suggested.Comment: 5 figure

Comprehensive DNA methylation profiling in a human cancer genome identifies novel epigenetic targets

Using a unique microarray platform for cytosine methylation profiling, the DNA methylation landscape of the human genome was monitored at more than 21,000 sites, including 79% of the annotated transcriptional start sites (TSS). Analysis of an oligodendroglioma derived cell line LN-18 revealed more than 4000 methylated TSS. The gene-centric analysis indicated a complex pattern of DNA methylation exists along each autosome, with a trend of increasing density approaching the telomeres. Remarkably, 2% of CpG islands (CGI) were densely methylated, and 17% had significant levels of 5 mC, whether or not they corresponded to a TSS. Substantial independent verification, obtained from 95 loci, suggested that this approach is capable of large scale detection of cytosine methylation with an accuracy approaching 90%. In addition, we detected large genomic domains that are also susceptible to DNA methylation reinforced inactivation, such as the HOX cluster on chromosome 7 (CH7). Extrapolation from the data suggests that more than 2000 genomic loci may be susceptible to methylation and associated inactivation, and most have yet to be identified. Finally, we report six new targets of epigenetic inactivation (IRX3, WNT10A, WNT6, RARalpha, BMP7 and ZGPAT). These targets displayed cell line and tumor specific differential methylation when compared with normal brain samples, suggesting they may have utility as biomarkers. Uniquely, hypermethylation of the CGI within an IRX3 exon was correlated with over-expression of IRX3 in tumor tissues and cell lines relative to normal brain samples

Genealogies of Slavery

This chapter addresses the concept of slavery, exploring its character and significance as a dark page in history, but also as a specifically criminological and zemiological problem, in the context of international law and human rights. By tracing the ambiguities of slavery in international law and international development, the harms associated with slavery are considered. Harms include both those statutorily proscribed, and those that are not, but that can still be regarded as socially destructive. Traditionally, antislavery has been considered within the parameters of abolition and criminalization. In this context recently, anti-trafficking has emerged as a key issue in contemporary anti-slavery work. While valuable, anti-trafficking is shown to have significant limitations. It advances criminalization and stigmatization of the most vulnerable and further perpetuates harm. At the same time, it identifies structural conditions like poverty, vulnerability, and “unfreedom” of movement only to put them aside. Linked to exploitation, violence and zemia, the chapter brings to the fore some crucial questions concerning the prospects of systemic theory in the investigation of slavery, that highlight the root causes of slavery, primarily poverty and inequality. Therefore, the chapter counterposes an alternative approach in which the orienting target is not abolition of slavery but advancing structural changes against social harm

The Web will kill them all: new media, digital utopia, and political struggle in the Italian 5-Star Movement

This article examines the role of discourses about new media technology and the Web in the rise of the 5-Star Movement (Movimento 5 Stelle, or M5S) in Italy. Founded by comedian and activist Beppe Grillo and Web entrepreneur Gianrobe rto Casaleggio in 2009, this movement succeeded in becoming the second largest party at t he 2013 national elections in Italy. This article aims to discuss how elements of digital uto pia and Web-centric discourses have been inserted into the movement’s political message, and how the construction of the Web as a myth has shaped the movement’s discourse and political p ractice. The 5-Star Movement is compared and contrasted with other social and political move ments in Western countries which have displayed a similar emphasis on new media, such as the Occupy movement, the Indignados movement, and the Pirate Parties in Sweden and Germ any. By adopting and mutating cyber- utopian discourses from the so-called Californian i deology, the movement symbolically identifies itself with the Web. The traditional political esta blishment is associated with “old” media (television, radio, and the printed press), and rep resented as a “walking dead,” doomed to be superseded and buried by a Web-based direct democra cy

Accuracy of Auxiliary Field Approach for Baryons

We provide a check of the accuracy of the auxiliary field formalism used to derive the Effective Hamiltonian for baryons in the Field Correlator Method. To this end we compare the solutions for the Effective Hamiltonian with those obtained from the solution of the Salpeter equation. Comparing these results gives a first estimate of the systematic uncertainty due to the use of the auxiliary field formalism for baryons.Comment: 6 pages, 2 tables; published versio

Motivational determinants among physicians in Lahore, Pakistan

Introduction: Human resource crises in developing countries have been identified as a critical aspect of poor quality and low accessibility in health care. Worker motivation is an important facet of this issue. Specifically, motivation among physicians, who are an important bridge between health systems and patients, should be considered. This study aimed to identify the determinants of job motivation among physicians, a neglected perspective, especially in developing countries. Methods: A stratified random sample of 360 physicians was selected from public primary, public secondary and public and private tertiary health facilities in the Lahore district, Pakistan. Pretested, semi-structured, self-administered questionnaires were used. For the descriptive part of this study, physicians were asked to report their 5 most important work motivators and demotivators within the context of their current jobs and in general. Responses were coded according to emergent themes and frequencies calculated. Of the 30 factors identified, 10 were classified as intrinsic, 16 as organizational and 4 as socio-cultural. Results: Intrinsic and socio-cultural factors like serving people, respect and career growth were important motivators. Conversely, demotivators across setups were mostly organizational, especially in current jobs. Among these, less pay was reported the most frequently. Fewer opportunities for higher qualifications was a demotivator among primary and secondary physicians. Less personal safety and poor working conditions were important in the public sector, particularly among female physicians. Among private tertiary physicians financial incentives other than pay and good working conditions were motivators in current jobs. Socio-cultural and intrinsic factors like less personal and social time and the inability to financially support oneself and family were more important among male physicians. Conclusion: Motivational determinants differed across different levels of care, sectors and genders. Nonetheless, the important motivators across setups in this study were mostly intrinsic and socio-cultural, which are difficult to affect while the demotivators were largely organizational. Many can be addressed even at the facility level such as less personal safety and poor working conditions. Thus, in resource limited settings a good strategic starting point could be small scale changes that may markedly improve physicians' motivation and subsequently the quality of health care