594 research outputs found
New empirical fits to the proton electromagnetic form factors
Recent measurements of the ratio of the elastic electromagnetic form factors
of the proton, G_Ep/G_Mp, using the polarization transfer technique at
Jefferson Lab show that this ratio decreases dramatically with increasing Q^2,
in contradiction to previous measurements using the Rosenbluth separation
technique. Using this new high quality data as a constraint, we have reanalyzed
most of the world e-p elastic cross section data. In this paper, we present a
new empirical fit to the reanalyzed data for the proton elastic magnetic form
factor in the region 0 < Q^2 < 30 GeV^2. As well, we present an empirical fit
to the proton electromagnetic form factor ratio, G_Ep/G_Mp, which is valid in
the region 0.1 < Q^2 < 6 GeV^2
Annexin-A5 assembled into two-dimensional arrays promotes cell membrane repair
Eukaryotic cells possess a universal repair machinery that ensures rapid resealing of plasma membrane disruptions. Before resealing, the torn membrane is submitted to considerable tension, which functions to expand the disruption. Here we show that annexin-A5 (AnxA5), a protein that self-assembles into two-dimensional (2D) arrays on membranes upon Ca2+ activation, promotes membrane repair. Compared with wild-type mouse perivascular cells, AnxA5-null cells exhibit a severe membrane repair defect. Membrane repair in AnxA5-null cells is rescued by addition of AnxA5, which binds exclusively to disrupted membrane areas. In contrast, an AnxA5 mutant that lacks the ability of forming 2D arrays is unable to promote membrane repair. We propose that AnxA5 participates in a previously unrecognized step of the membrane repair process: triggered by the local influx of Ca2+, AnxA5 proteins bind to torn membrane edges and form a 2D array, which prevents wound expansion and promotes membrane resealing
Gauge Invariant Two-Photon-Exchange Contributions in
The gauge invariant two-photon exchange (TPE) contributions in are discussed at hadronic level. The contact term is
added to keep the full amplitude gauge invariant by two methods: one is to
multiply form factors with the point-like particles scattering amplitude and
another is to construct a gauge invariant Lagangian. The practical calculations
show the TPE corrections by these two methods are almost the same, while the
later method is favored when extending the discussion to processes including
two charged finite-size particles like .Comment: 5 pages, 2 fugure
Robust estimation of microbial diversity in theory and in practice
Quantifying diversity is of central importance for the study of structure,
function and evolution of microbial communities. The estimation of microbial
diversity has received renewed attention with the advent of large-scale
metagenomic studies. Here, we consider what the diversity observed in a sample
tells us about the diversity of the community being sampled. First, we argue
that one cannot reliably estimate the absolute and relative number of microbial
species present in a community without making unsupported assumptions about
species abundance distributions. The reason for this is that sample data do not
contain information about the number of rare species in the tail of species
abundance distributions. We illustrate the difficulty in comparing species
richness estimates by applying Chao's estimator of species richness to a set of
in silico communities: they are ranked incorrectly in the presence of large
numbers of rare species. Next, we extend our analysis to a general family of
diversity metrics ("Hill diversities"), and construct lower and upper estimates
of diversity values consistent with the sample data. The theory generalizes
Chao's estimator, which we retrieve as the lower estimate of species richness.
We show that Shannon and Simpson diversity can be robustly estimated for the in
silico communities. We analyze nine metagenomic data sets from a wide range of
environments, and show that our findings are relevant for empirically-sampled
communities. Hence, we recommend the use of Shannon and Simpson diversity
rather than species richness in efforts to quantify and compare microbial
diversity.Comment: To be published in The ISME Journal. Main text: 16 pages, 5 figures.
Supplement: 16 pages, 4 figure
Interdisciplinary Critique of Sipuleucel-T as Immunotherapy in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Sipuleucel-T was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on April 29, 2010, as an immunotherapy for late-stage prostate cancer. To manufacture sipuleucel-T, mononuclear cells harvested from the patient are incubated with a recombinant prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) antigen and reinfused. The manufacturer proposes that antigen-presenting cells exogenously activated by PAP induce endogenous T-cells to attack PAP-bearing prostate cancer cells. However, the lack of demonstrable tumor responses has prompted calls for scrutiny of the design of the trials in which sipuleucel-T demonstrated a 4-month survival benefit. Previously unpublished data from the sipuleucel-T trials show worse overall survival in older vs younger patients in the placebo groups, which have not been shown previously to be prognostic for survival in castration-resistant prostate cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Because two-thirds of the cells harvested from placebo patients, but not from the sipuleucel-T arm, were frozen and not reinfused, a detrimental effect of this large repeated cell loss provides a potential alternative explanation for the survival “benefit.” Patient safety depends on adequately addressing this alternative explanation for the trial results
Review of two-photon exchange in electron scattering
We review the role of two-photon exchange (TPE) in electron-hadron
scattering, focusing in particular on hadronic frameworks suitable for
describing the low and moderate Q^2 region relevant to most experimental
studies. We discuss the effects of TPE on the extraction of nucleon form
factors and their role in the resolution of the proton electric to magnetic
form factor ratio puzzle. The implications of TPE on various other observables,
including neutron form factors, electroproduction of resonances and pions, and
nuclear form factors, are summarized. Measurements seeking to directly identify
TPE effects, such as through the angular dependence of polarization
measurements, nonlinear epsilon contributions to the cross sections, and via e+
p to e- p cross section ratios, are also outlined. In the weak sector, we
describe the role of TPE and gamma-Z interference in parity-violating electron
scattering, and assess their impact on the extraction of the strange form
factors of the nucleon and the weak charge of the proton.Comment: 73 pages, 40 figures, review article for Prog. Part. Nucl. Phys.
(dedicated to the memory of John A. Tjon
Postraumatic pneumorrhachis: Report of three cases and classification proposal
The Pneumorrhachis is the presence of air at the level of the spinal canal. It can have several causes among which are: traumatic, iatrogenic among others. Clinical Cases: We present three cases of male patients handled by our neurosurgery service with traumatic pneumorrhachis patients, which were managed in a conservative manner, with control images. Conclusions: pneumorrhachis has traditionally been classified as internal if air is present in the subdural or subarachnoid space and external if the air is located at the epidural level. We propose a classification in degrees (Moscote-Agrawal-Padilla) which is more practical from the clinical and radiological point of view
Bulk and Boundary Critical Behavior at Lifshitz Points
Lifshitz points are multicritical points at which a disordered phase, a
homogeneous ordered phase, and a modulated ordered phase meet. Their bulk
universality classes are described by natural generalizations of the standard
model. Analyzing these models systematically via modern
field-theoretic renormalization group methods has been a long-standing
challenge ever since their introduction in the middle of the 1970s. We survey
the recent progress made in this direction, discussing results obtained via
dimensionality expansions, how they compare with Monte Carlo results, and open
problems. These advances opened the way towards systematic studies of boundary
critical behavior at -axial Lifshitz points. The possible boundary critical
behavior depends on whether the surface plane is perpendicular to one of the
modulation axes or parallel to all of them. We show that the semi-infinite
field theories representing the corresponding surface universality classes in
these two cases of perpendicular and parallel surface orientation differ
crucially in their Hamiltonian's boundary terms and the implied boundary
conditions, and explain recent results along with our current understanding of
this matter.Comment: Invited contribution to STATPHYS 22, to be published in the
Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Statistical Physics
(STATPHYS 22) of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP),
4--9 July 2004, Bangalore, Indi
Association of abnormal metopic suture causing hypertelorism, interfrontal encephalocele with craniofacial cosmetic deformity associated with myelomeningocele: Management literature review
Myelomeningocele may be associated with other neural and extraneural anomalies. Authors present association of metopic suture abnormality, an interfrontal encephalocele with widening of metopic suture and abnormal shape frontal bones in the forehead in those associated with hydrocephalus. Authors describes two neonates with interfrontal encephalocele, representing first series reporting in neonate. Management and pertinent literature is briefly discussed
Magnetism, FeS colloids, and Origins of Life
A number of features of living systems: reversible interactions and weak
bonds underlying motor-dynamics; gel-sol transitions; cellular connected
fractal organization; asymmetry in interactions and organization; quantum
coherent phenomena; to name some, can have a natural accounting via
interactions, which we therefore seek to incorporate by expanding the horizons
of `chemistry-only' approaches to the origins of life. It is suggested that the
magnetic 'face' of the minerals from the inorganic world, recognized to have
played a pivotal role in initiating Life, may throw light on some of these
issues. A magnetic environment in the form of rocks in the Hadean Ocean could
have enabled the accretion and therefore an ordered confinement of
super-paramagnetic colloids within a structured phase. A moderate H-field can
help magnetic nano-particles to not only overcome thermal fluctuations but also
harness them. Such controlled dynamics brings in the possibility of accessing
quantum effects, which together with frustrations in magnetic ordering and
hysteresis (a natural mechanism for a primitive memory) could throw light on
the birth of biological information which, as Abel argues, requires a
combination of order and complexity. This scenario gains strength from
observations of scale-free framboidal forms of the greigite mineral, with a
magnetic basis of assembly. And greigite's metabolic potential plays a key role
in the mound scenario of Russell and coworkers-an expansion of which is
suggested for including magnetism.Comment: 42 pages, 5 figures, to be published in A.R. Memorial volume, Ed
Krishnaswami Alladi, Springer 201
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