Potential model calculations and predictions for heavy quarkonium

We investigate the spectroscopy and decays of the charmonium and upsilon systems in a potential model consisting of a relativistic kinetic energy term, a linear confining term including its scalar and vector relativistic corrections and the complete perturbative one-loop quantum chromodynamic short distance potential. The masses and wave functions of the various states are obtained using a variational technique, which allows us to compare the results for both perturbative and nonperturbative treatments of the potential. As well as comparing the mass spectra, radiative widths and leptonic widths with the available data, we include a discussion of the errors on the parameters contained in the potential, the effect of mixing on the leptonic widths, the Lorentz nature of the confining potential and the possible $c\bar{c}$ interpretation of recently discovered charmonium-like states.Comment: Physical Review published versio

Have you seen the new model? : visual design and product newness

The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file.Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on March 24, 2009)Vita.Thesis (Ph.D.) University of Missouri-Columbia 2007.Firms must continually innovate to successfully meet both consumer needs and competitive pressures. Previous investigations of innovation have examined this construct solely from the firms' perspective and only minimal work has examined how consumers evaluate product newness. Consumers' adoption of an innovation is central to marketing and understanding the way that consumers react to new products will be the focus of this dissertation. Specifically, this work explores the changes in visual form that signal newness and the reactions engendered by the product. Three studies were undertaken to explore the construct and test several a prior hypotheses: a sorting task, an attribute elicitation, and a between-subjects experiment. The research revealed that consumers were capable of identifying product newness from visual form alone, however, they were not always certain of the reasons that they made these judgments. It was also clear that different levels of newness tended to elicit different responses, and generally, higher levels of newness received more positive evaluations by the consumers.Includes bibliographical reference

Green Building Perception Matrix, A Theoretical Framework

Research has consistently shown that architects differ from the public in what they prefer in buildings. Today, as building design and construction evolve to more sustainability, some recent studies show that the overall level of satisfaction of occupants of green buildings still does not exceed the level of satisfaction in conventional structures. Satisfaction is typically measured, with Post Occupancy Evaluation, which gathers feedback from building occupants about aspects such as comfort, indoor air quality, and aesthetics. This raises some questions: Do people perceive green building design as consistent with their desire for sustainability? Do ratings of green buildings by systems such as LEED or BREAM affect the level of satisfaction of laypeople? Can owners and occupants of green buildings be considered as green consumers, who are attracted to green products because of their willingness to mitigate the impact of human activities on the environment? This article examines Peattie’s (2001) green purchase perception matrix as a means of understanding occupants’ perceptions of green-labeled buildings. An analytical approach has been taken to identify the influential factors, which are involved in this relationship. As a result, the authors propose a green building perception matrix that addresses the compromise that occupants must make in green buildings and the confidence that building systems are indeed making a difference environmentally. Understanding and using this matrix may help green building designers to improve the level of satisfaction of building’s owners and occupants. The discussion is critical for future research on how green building design attributes can be used as a catalyst for green consumption behavior

What is our role in moving the conversation forward?

What is our role in moving the conversation forward? A word from the guest editor and co-editor. Introduction to the Multicultural Special Topics Issue

Evidence of increased hypoxia signaling in fetal liver from maternal nutrient restriction in mice.

BACKGROUND: Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a pregnancy condition where fetal growth is reduced, and offspring from IUGR pregnancies are at increased risk for type II diabetes as adults. The liver is susceptible to fetal undernutrition experienced by IUGR infants and animal models of growth restriction. This study aimed to examine hepatic expression changes in a maternal nutrient restriction (MNR) mouse model of IUGR to understand fetal adaptations that influence adult metabolism. METHODS: Liver samples of male offspring from MNR (70% of ad libitum starting at E6.5) or control pregnancies were obtained at E18.5 and differential expression was assessed by RNAseq and western blots. RESULTS: Forty-nine differentially expressed (FDR \u3c 0.1) transcripts were enriched in hypoxia-inducible pathways including Fkbp5 (1.6-fold change), Ccng2 (1.5-fold change), Pfkfb3 (1.5-fold change), Kdm3a (1.2-fold change), Btg2 (1.6-fold change), Vhl (1.3-fold change), and Hif-3a (1.3-fold change) (FDR \u3c 0.1). Fkbp5, Pfkfb3, Kdm3a, and Hif-3a were confirmed by qPCR, but only HIF-2a (2.2-fold change, p = 0.002) and HIF-3a (1.3 p = 0.03) protein were significantly increased. CONCLUSION: Although a moderate impact, these data support evidence of fetal adaptation to reduced nutrients by increased hypoxia signaling in the liver

Offspring from maternal nutrient restriction in mice show variations in adult glucose metabolism similar to human fetal growth restriction.

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a pregnancy condition in which fetal growth is suboptimal for gestation, and this population is at increased risk for type 2 diabetes as adults. In humans, maternal malnutrition and placental insufficiency are the most common causes of FGR, and both result in fetal undernutrition. We hypothesized that maternal nutrient restriction (MNR) in mice will cause FGR and alter glucose metabolism in adult offspring. Pregnant CD-1 mice were subjected to MNR (70% of average ad libitum) or control (ad libitum) from E6.5 to birth. Following birth, mice were fostered by mothers on ad libitum feeds. Weight, blood glucose, glucose tolerance and tissue-specific insulin sensitivity were assessed in male offspring. MNR resulted in reduced fetal sizes but caught up to controls by 3 days postnatal age. As adults, glucose intolerance was detected in 19% of male MNR offspring. At 6 months, liver size was reduced (P = 0.01), but pAkt-to-Akt ratios in response to insulin were increased 2.5-fold relative to controls (P = 0.004). These data suggest that MNR causes FGR and long-term glucose intolerance in a population of male offspring similar to human populations. This mouse model can be used to investigate the impacts of FGR on tissues of importance in glucose metabolism

The gravitationally lensed, luminous infrared galaxy IRAS F10214+4724 observed with XMM-Newton

We report on a short XMM-Newton observation of the gravitationally-lensed, luminous infrared galaxy IRAS F10214+4724 at z=2.3. A faint X-ray source is detected at 4 sigma. The observed 0.5-2 keV (1.7-6.6 keV in the rest-frame) flux is 1.3e-15 erg/s/cm2 and the spectral slope in the rest-frame 1-10 keV band is Gamma~2. These results agree with those obtained from the Chandra X-ray Observatory, given the large uncertainties in both measurements. While possible evidence for excess emission above 5 keV is seen, we suspect this excess might be either spurious or not related to the infrared galaxy.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, New Astronomy in pres