453 research outputs found
Selective deletion of PPARβ/δ in fibroblasts causes dermal fibrosis by attenuated LRG1 expression.
Connective tissue diseases of the skin are characterized by excessive collagen deposition in the skin and internal organs. Fibroblasts play a pivotal role in the clinical presentation of these conditions. Nuclear receptor peroxisome-proliferator activated receptors (PPARs) are therapeutic targets for dermal fibrosis, but the contribution of the different PPAR subtypes are poorly understood. Particularly, the role of fibroblast PPARβ/δ in dermal fibrosis has not been elucidated. Thus, we generated a mouse strain with selective deletion of PPARβ/δ in the fibroblast (FSPCre- <i>Pparb/d</i> <sup>-/-</sup> ) and interrogated its epidermal and dermal transcriptome profiles. We uncovered a downregulated gene, leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein-1 ( <i>Lrg1</i> ), of previously unknown function in skin development and architecture. Our findings suggest that the regulation of <i>Lrg1</i> by PPARβ/δ in fibroblasts is an important signaling conduit integrating PPARβ/δ and TGFβ1-signaling networks in skin health and disease. Thus, the FSPCre- <i>Pparb/d</i> <sup>-/-</sup> mouse model could serve as a novel tool in the current gunnery of animal models to better understand dermal fibrosis
Turbulent Compressible Convection with Rotation - Penetration above a Convection Zone
We perform Large eddy simulations of turbulent compressible convection in
stellar-type convection zones by solving the Navi\'{e}r-Stokes equations in
three dimensions. We estimate the extent of penetration into the stable layer
above a stellar-type convection zone by varying the rotation rate
({\boldmath}), the inclination of the rotation vector () and
the relative stability () of the upper stable layer. The computational
domain is a rectangular box in an f-plane configuration and is divided into two
regions of unstable and stable stratification with the stable layer placed
above the convectively unstable layer. Several models have been computed and
the penetration distance into the stable layer above the convection zone is
estimated by determining the position where time averaged kinetic energy flux
has the first zero in the upper stable layer. The vertical grid spacing in all
the model is non-uniform, and is less in the upper region so that the flows are
better resolved in the region of interest. We find that the penetration
distance increases as the rotation rate increases for the case when the
rotation vector is aligned with the vertical axis. However, with the increase
in the stability of the upper stable layer, the upward penetration distance
decreases. Since we are not able to afford computations with finer resolution
for all the models, we compute a number of models to see the effect of
increased resolution on the upward penetration. In addition, we estimate the
upper limit on the upward convective penetration from stellar convective cores.Comment: Accepted for Publication in Asttrophysics & Space Scienc
Fuzzy cluster validation using the partition negentropy criterion
The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-04277-5_24Proceedings of the 19th International Conference, Limassol, Cyprus, September 14-17, 2009We introduce the Partition Negentropy Criterion (PNC) for cluster validation. It is a cluster validity index that rewards the average normality of the clusters, measured by means of the negentropy, and penalizes the overlap, measured by the partition entropy. The PNC is aimed at finding well separated clusters whose shape is approximately Gaussian. We use the new index to validate fuzzy partitions in a set of synthetic clustering problems, and compare the results to those obtained by the AIC, BIC and ICL criteria. The partitions are obtained by fitting a Gaussian Mixture Model to the data using the EM algorithm. We show that, when the real clusters are normally distributed, all the criteria are able to correctly assess the number of components, with AIC and BIC
allowing a higher cluster overlap. However, when the real cluster distributions are not Gaussian (i.e. the distribution assumed by the mixture model) the PNC outperforms the other indices, being able to correctly
evaluate the number of clusters while the other criteria (specially AIC and BIC) tend to overestimate it.This work has been partially supported with funds from
MEC BFU2006-07902/BFI, CAM S-SEM-0255-2006 and CAM/UAM project CCG08-UAM/TIC-442
Neutron star properties in the quark-meson coupling model
The effects of internal quark structure of baryons on the composition and
structure of neutron star matter with hyperons are investigated in the
quark-meson coupling (QMC) model. The QMC model is based on mean-field
description of nonoverlapping spherical bags bound by self-consistent exchange
of scalar and vector mesons. The predictions of this model are compared with
quantum hadrodynamic (QHD) model calibrated to reproduce identical nuclear
matter saturation properties. By employing a density dependent bag constant
through direct coupling to the scalar field, the QMC model is found to exhibit
identical properties as QHD near saturation density. Furthermore, this modified
QMC model provides well-behaved and continuous solutions at high densities
relevant to the core of neutron stars. Two additional strange mesons are
introduced which couple only to the strange quark in the QMC model and to the
hyperons in the QHD model. The constitution and structure of stars with
hyperons in the QMC and QHD models reveal interesting differences. This
suggests the importance of quark structure effects in the baryons at high
densities.Comment: 28 pages, 10 figures, to appear in Physical Review
Model for Particle Masses, Flavor Mixing, and CP Violation Based on Spontaneously Broken Discrete Chiral Symmetry as the Origin of Families
We construct extensions of the standard model based on the hypothesis that
the Higgs bosons also exhibit a family structure, and that the flavor weak
eigenstates in the three families are distinguished by a discrete chiral
symmetry that is spontaneously broken by the Higgs sector. We study in detail
at the tree level models with three Higgs doublets, and with six Higgs doublets
comprising two weakly coupled sets of three. In a leading approximation of
cyclic permutation symmetry the three Higgs model gives a ``democratic''
mass matrix of rank one, while the six Higgs model gives either a rank one mass
matrix, or in the case when it spontaneously violates CP, a rank two mass
matrix corresponding to nonzero second family masses. In both models, the CKM
matrix is exactly unity in leading approximation. Allowing small explicit
violations of cyclic permutation symmetry generates small first family masses
in the six Higgs model, and first and second family masses in the three Higgs
model, and gives a non-trivial CKM matrix in which the mixings of the first and
second family quarks are naturally larger than mixings involving the third
family. Complete numerical fits are given for both models, flavor changing
neutral current constraints are discussed in detail, and the issues of
unification of couplings and neutrino masses are addressed. On a technical
level, our analysis uses the theory of circulant and retrocirculant matrices,
the relevant parts of which are reviewed.Comment: Revtex, 59 pages including four tables at en
Single Spin Asymmetry in Polarized Proton-Proton Elastic Scattering at GeV
We report a high precision measurement of the transverse single spin
asymmetry at the center of mass energy GeV in elastic
proton-proton scattering by the STAR experiment at RHIC. The was measured
in the four-momentum transfer squared range \GeVcSq, the region of a significant interference between the
electromagnetic and hadronic scattering amplitudes. The measured values of
and its -dependence are consistent with a vanishing hadronic spin-flip
amplitude, thus providing strong constraints on the ratio of the single
spin-flip to the non-flip amplitudes. Since the hadronic amplitude is dominated
by the Pomeron amplitude at this , we conclude that this measurement
addresses the question about the presence of a hadronic spin flip due to the
Pomeron exchange in polarized proton-proton elastic scattering.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figure
High non-photonic electron production in + collisions at = 200 GeV
We present the measurement of non-photonic electron production at high
transverse momentum ( 2.5 GeV/) in + collisions at
= 200 GeV using data recorded during 2005 and 2008 by the STAR
experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The measured
cross-sections from the two runs are consistent with each other despite a large
difference in photonic background levels due to different detector
configurations. We compare the measured non-photonic electron cross-sections
with previously published RHIC data and pQCD calculations. Using the relative
contributions of B and D mesons to non-photonic electrons, we determine the
integrated cross sections of electrons () at 3 GeV/10 GeV/ from bottom and charm meson decays to be = 4.0({\rm
stat.})({\rm syst.}) nb and =
6.2({\rm stat.})({\rm syst.}) nb, respectively.Comment: 17 pages, 17 figure
Evolution of the differential transverse momentum correlation function with centrality in Au+Au collisions at GeV
We present first measurements of the evolution of the differential transverse
momentum correlation function, {\it C}, with collision centrality in Au+Au
interactions at GeV. {\it C} exhibits a strong dependence
on collision centrality that is qualitatively similar to that of number
correlations previously reported. We use the observed longitudinal broadening
of the near-side peak of {\it C} with increasing centrality to estimate the
ratio of the shear viscosity to entropy density, , of the matter formed
in central Au+Au interactions. We obtain an upper limit estimate of
that suggests that the produced medium has a small viscosity per unit entropy.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, STAR paper published in Phys. Lett.
Longitudinal double-spin asymmetry and cross section for inclusive neutral pion production at midrapidity in polarized proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 200 GeV
We report a measurement of the longitudinal double-spin asymmetry A_LL and
the differential cross section for inclusive Pi0 production at midrapidity in
polarized proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 200 GeV. The cross section was
measured over a transverse momentum range of 1 < p_T < 17 GeV/c and found to be
in good agreement with a next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculation.
The longitudinal double-spin asymmetry was measured in the range of 3.7 < p_T <
11 GeV/c and excludes a maximal positive gluon polarization in the proton. The
mean transverse momentum fraction of Pi0's in their parent jets was found to be
around 0.7 for electromagnetically triggered events.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. D (RC
Dilepton mass spectra in p+p collisions at sqrt(s)= 200 GeV and the contribution from open charm
The PHENIX experiement has measured the electron-positron pair mass spectrum
from 0 to 8 GeV/c^2 in p+p collisions at sqrt(s)=200 GeV. The contributions
from light meson decays to e^+e^- pairs have been determined based on
measurements of hadron production cross sections by PHENIX. They account for
nearly all e^+e^- pairs in the mass region below 1 GeV/c^2. The e^+e^- pair
yield remaining after subtracting these contributions is dominated by
semileptonic decays of charmed hadrons correlated through flavor conservation.
Using the spectral shape predicted by PYTHIA, we estimate the charm production
cross section to be 544 +/- 39(stat) +/- 142(syst) +/- 200(model) \mu b, which
is consistent with QCD calculations and measurements of single leptons by
PHENIX.Comment: 375 authors from 57 institutions, 18 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables.
Submitted to Physics Letters B. v2 fixes technical errors in matching authors
to institutions. Plain text data tables for the points plotted in figures for
this and previous PHENIX publications are (or will be) publicly available at
http://www.phenix.bnl.gov/papers.htm
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