Calculating Kaon Fragmentation Functions from NJL-Jet Model

The Nambu--Jona-Lasinio (NJL) - Jet model provides a sound framework for calculating the fragmentation functions in an effective chiral quark theory, where the momentum and isospin sum rules are satisfied without the introduction of ad hoc parameters. Earlier studies of the pion fragmentation functions using the NJL model within this framework showed qualitative agreement with the empirical parameterizations. Here we extend the NJL-Jet model by including the strange quark. The corrections to the pion fragmentation functions and corresponding kaon fragmentation functions are calculated using the elementary quark to quark-meson fragmentation functions from NJL. The results for the kaon fragmentation functions exhibit a qualitative agreement with the empirical parameterizations, while the unfavored strange quark fragmentation to pions is shown to be of the same order of magnitude as the unfavored light quark's. The results of these studies are expected to provide important guidance for the analysis of a large variety of semi-inclusive data.Comment: 9 pages, 14 figure

Monte Carlo Simulations of Hadronic Fragmentation Functions using NJL-Jet Model

The recently developed Nambu-Jona-Lasinio (NJL) - Jet model is used as an effective chiral quark theory to calculate the quark fragmentation functions to pions, kaons, nucleons, and antinucleons. The effects of the vector mesons rho, K* and phi on the production of secondary pions and kaons are included. The fragmentation processes to nucleons and antinucleons are described by using the quark-diquark picture, which has been shown to give a reasonable description of quark distribution functions. We incorporate effects of next-to-leading order (NLO) in the Q^2 evolution, and compare our results with the empirical fragmentation functions.Comment: 27 pages, 13 figure

Gentransfer mit einem neuen nicht-viralen Vektor.

In dieser Arbeit entwickelten und synthetisierten wir ein Tetramer des Kernsignales des großen T-Antigens des SV40 Viruses (PKKKRKV). Dadurch erhielten wir einen neuen nicht-viralen Vektor (NLSV404). Diese 4,4 kDA großen Peptide enthalten hauptsächlich die positiv geladene Aminosäure Lysin und komplexieren DNS durch elektrostatische Anziehungskräfte. Durch die Komplexierung wird die DNS vor dem Abbau durch DNasen geschützt. NLSV404 zeigt Eigenschaften eines Kerntransportsignals, welches wir durch Fluoreszenz in situ Hybridisierung bestätigen konnten. Des Weiteren transfizierten Komplexe aus DNS und NLSV404 viele verschiedene Zelllinien, wie z.B. 16HBE14o-, HeLA S6 und Cos7 Zellen. Vergleiche der Transfektionseffizienz von NLSV404 Komplexen mit Komplexen, die aus der Mutante der Kernlokalisierungssequenz des T-Antigens gebildet wurden (cNLS, fungiert nicht mehr als Kernlokalisierungssignal), resultierten in einer mindestens 20-fach höheren Transfektionsrate. Hingegen waren NLSV404 Komplexe mindestens 100-mal effizienter als cNLS Komplexe, wenn man die Versuche mit Zellen durchführte, die in ihrer Zellteilung gehindert wurden. Die Inkubation von Zellen mit freiem NLSV404 vor der Transfektion der Zellen mit NLSV404 Polyplexen hatte einen dramatischen Einbruch in der Transfektionseffizienz zur Folge, welches Rückschlüsse auf einen kompetitiven Hemmungsmechanismus zulassen. Diese Ergebnisse zeigen auf, dass NLSV404 ein viel versprechender nicht-viraler Genvektor ist

On voxel-by-voxel accumulated dose for prostate radiation therapy using deformable image registration.

Since delivered dose is rarely the same with planned, we calculated the delivered total dose to ten prostate radiotherapy patients treated with rectal balloons using deformable dose accumulation (DDA) and compared it with the planned dose. The patients were treated with TomoTherapy using two rectal balloon designs: five patients had the Radiadyne balloon (balloon A), and five patients had the EZ-EM balloon (balloon B). Prostate and rectal wall contours were outlined on each pre-treatment MVCT for all patients. Delivered fractional doses were calculated using the MVCT taken immediately prior to delivery. Dose grids were accumulated to the last MVCT using DDA tools in Pinnacle3 TM (v9.100, Philips Radiation Oncology Systems, Fitchburg, USA). Delivered total doses were compared with planned doses using prostate and rectal wall DVHs. The rectal NTCP was calculated based on total delivered and planned doses for all patients using the Lyman model. For 8/10 patients, the rectal wall NTCP calculated using the delivered total dose was less than planned, with seven patients showing a decrease of more than 5% in NTCP. For 2/10 patients studied, the rectal wall NTCP calculated using total delivered dose was 2% higher than planned. This study indicates that for patients receiving hypofractionated radiotherapy for prostate cancer with a rectal balloon, total delivered doses to prostate is similar with planned while delivered dose to rectal walls may be significantly different from planned doses. 8/10 patients show significant correlation between rectal balloon anterior-posterior positions and some VD values

Infection of honey bees with acute bee paralysis virus does not trigger humoral or cellular immune responses

We have studied the responses of honey bees at different life stages (Apis mellifera) to controlled infection with acute bee paralysis virus and have identified the haemolymph of infected larvae and adult worker bees as the compartment where massive propagation of ABPV occurs. Insects respond with a broad spectrum of induced innate immune reactions to bacterial infections, whereas defence mechanisms based on RNA interference play a major role in antiviral immunity. In this study, we have determined that honey bee larvae and adult workers do not produce a humoral immune reaction upon artificial infection with ABPV, in contrast to control individuals challenged with Escherichia coli. ABPV-infected bees produced neither elevated levels of specific antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), such as hymenoptaecin and defensin, nor any general antimicrobial activity, as revealed by inhibition-zone assays. Additionally, adult bees did not generate melanised nodules upon ABPV infection, an important cellular immune function activated by bacteria and viruses in some insects. Challenge of bees with both ABPV and E. coli showed that innate humoral and cellular immune reactions are induced in mixed infections, albeit at a reduced level. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00705-012-1223-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

\u3ci\u3eVarroa\u3c/i\u3e mites and honey bee health: can \u3ci\u3eVarroa\u3c/i\u3e explain part of the colony losses?

Since 2006, disastrous colony losses have been reported in Europe and North America. The causes of the losses were not readily apparent and have been attributed to overwintering mortalities and to a new phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder. Most scientists agree that there is no single explanation for the extensive colony losses but that interactions between different stresses are involved. As the presence of Varroa in each colony places an important pressure on bee health, we here address the question of how Varroa contributes to the recent surge in honey bee colony losses

In vivo bone remodeling rates determination and compressive stiffness variations before, during 60 days bed rest and two years follow up: A micro-FE-analysis from HR-pQCT measurements of the berlin Bed Rest Study-2

Bed rest studies are used for simulation and study of physiological changes as observed in unloading/non-gravity environments. Amongst others, bone mass reduction, similar as occurring due to aging osteoporosis, combined with bio-fluids redistribution and muscle atrophy have been observed and analyzed. Advanced radiological methods of high resolution such as HR-pQCT (XtremeCT) allow 3D-visualizing in vivo bone remodeling processes occurring during absence/reduction of mechanical stimuli (0 to <1 g) as simulated by bed rest. Induced bone micro-structure (e.g. trabecular number, cortical thickness, porosity) and density variations can be quantified. However, these parameters are average values of each sample and important information regarding bone mass distribution and within bone mechanical behaviour is lost. Finite element models with hexa-elements of identical size as the HR-pQCT measurements (0.082 mm×0.082 mm×0.082 mm, ca. 7E6 elements/sample) can be used for subject-specific in vivo stiffness calculation. This technique also allows quantifying if bone microstructural changes represent a risk of mechanical bone collapse (fracture). Materials and methods In the Berlin Bed Rest Study-2, 23 male subjects (20–50 YO) were maintained 60 days under restricted bed rest (6° HDT) aiming to test a - for this study specifically designed - vibration resistive exercise regime for maintenance of bone mass and muscle functionality at normal levels (base line measurements). For comparison a resistive exercise without vibration and a control group were included. Base line HR-pQCT measurements (3 days before bed rest: base line), as well as during 30 days bed rest (BR30 and BR59, 3 days of recovery (R3), R15, R30, R90, R180, R360, and R720 were performed. CT-scan voxels were converted into finite elements (hexa-82 µm edge length) for calculating in vivo compressive stiffness during the experiment duration. Histograms of stresses and strains distributions as well as anatomical regions susceptible for mechanical failure were identified and compared. Results: Resistive vibration exercises (RVE) were able to maintain in the majority of the subjects compressive bone strength as determined after modelling a compressive test using finite element models. Compressive bone stiffness using FEA was monitored through analysis of the internal deformation on the trabecular structures and cortical bone, reaction forces, and minimum principal strains on the in vivo CT measured bone regions during the experiment duration. Stress distributions (main stresses) and von Mises stress distribution remained comparable with those determined in the base line measurements for the RVE-group. However, no major differences were found in the group with resistive exercise training alone. Without mechanical stimuli an increment of bone regions with high stress concentration was observed and a reduction of up to 10% of bone compressive stiffness was quantified by using subject-specific finite-element analysis. Anatomically von Mises stress concentrations, thus bone regions susceptible to fail mechanically, were observed at the center of the cancellous bone and at the antero- posterior region of the cortical bone. Conclusions: Finite element simulations from bed rest studies are an invaluable tool to determine subject-specific in vivo compressive stiffness and anatomical mechanically compromised regions under controlled mechanical conditions (unloading) which - until now - are not possible to be determined with any other method. Vibration exercise combined with a resistive compressive force was able to maintain bone structure and density even during 60 days of bed rest

Concurrent Parasitism Alters Thermoregulation in Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Winter Clusters

Thermoregulation is crucial for honey bee, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), colony survival in temperate regions, but possible interference by parasites is currently unknown. The small hive beetle, Aethina tumida Murray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), and the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman are honey bee parasites and both overwinter in host colonies. The efficiency of thermoregulation might thus be affected in infested host winter clusters, due to altered worker activity. Here, we show for the first time that parasites can alter honey bee thermoregulation. Moreover, the data suggest that only combined infestations with V. destructor and A. tumida result in higher thermal maxima in the winter clusters, whereas infestations with one parasite alone had no significant effect compared with the controls. Due to the ubiquitous mite V. destructor combined infestations with parasites or combined infections with pathogens are almost inevitable. Therefore, our data indicate that an altered thermoregulation due to multiple infestations might be another widespread factor contributing to winter losses of honey bee colonie

Zehn Jahre nach der Ottawa-Charta: die betriebliche Gesundheitsförderung am Scheideweg zwischen Neuanfang und Marginalisierung

Zehn Jahre nach der Ottawa-Charta, in der Prinzipien einer adäquaten Gesundheits- und Sozialpolitik formuliert wurden, die auch neue Maßstäbe für die betriebliche Gesundheitsförderung setzten, ist die Gesundheitsförderung wieder in Frage gestellt und droht dem Kostendruck zum Opfer zu fallen. In diesem Zusammenhang werden die wirtschaftlichen und sozialen Notwendigkeiten und die hieraus resultierenden Anforderungen an eine qualitativ hochwertige Gesundheitsförderung dargestellt. Abschließend werden der heutige Stand und zukünftige Entwicklungsaufgaben in diesem Bereich näher analysiert