Classicalization and Unitarity

We point out that the scenario for UV completion by "classicalization", proposed recently is in fact Wilsonian in the classical Wilsonian sense. It corresponds to the situation when a field theory has a nontrivial UV fixed point governed by a higher dimensional operator. Provided the kinetic term is a relevant operator around this point the theory will flow in the IR to the free scalar theory. Physically, "classicalization", if it can be realized, would correspond to a situation when the fluctuations of the field operator in the UV are smaller than in the IR. As a result there exists a clear tension between the "classicalization" scenario and constraints imposed by unitarity on a quantum field theory, making the existence of classicalizing unitary theories questionable.Comment: Some clarifications and refs added. Accepted as a JHEP publication; 12 page

Lack of HLA predominance and HLA shared epitopes in biliary Atresia

Biliary atresia (BA) is characterized by progressive inflammation and fibrosis of bile ducts. A theory of pathogenesis entails autoimmune-mediated injury targeting bile duct epithelia. One of the strongest genetic associations with autoimmunity is with HLA genes. In addition, apparently dissimilar HLA alleles may have similar antigen-binding sites, called shared epitopes, that overlap in their capacity to present antigens. In autoimmune disease, the incidence of the disease may be related to the presence of shared epitopes, not simply the HLA allelic association. Aim: To determine HLA allele frequency (high-resolution genotyping) and shared epitope associations in BA. Results: Analysis of every allele for HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, -DPB1 and -DQB1 in 180 BA and 360 racially-matched controls did not identify any significant HLA association with BA. Furthermore, shared epitope analysis of greater than 10 million possible combinations of peptide sequences was not different between BA and controls. Conclusions: This study encompasses the largest HLA allele frequency analysis for BA in the United States and is the first study to perform shared epitope analysis. When controlling for multiple comparisons, no HLA allele or shared epitope association was identified in BA. Future studies of genetic links to BA that involve alterations of the immune response should include investigations into defects in regulatory T cells and non-HLA linked autoinflammatory diseases. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/2193-1801-2-42) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

String theoretic QCD axions in the light of PLANCK and BICEP2

The QCD axion solving the strong CP problem may originate from antisymmetric tensor gauge fields in compactified string theory, with a decay constant around the GUT scale. Such possibility appears to be ruled out now by the detection of tensor modes by BICEP2 and the PLANCK constraints on isocurvature density perturbations. A more interesting and still viable possibility is that the string theoretic QCD axion is charged under an anomalous U(1)_A gauge symmetry. In such case, the axion decay constant can be much lower than the GUT scale if moduli are stabilized near the point of vanishing Fayet-Illiopoulos term, and U(1)_A-charged matter fields get a vacuum value far below the GUT scale due to a tachyonic SUSY breaking scalar mass. We examine the symmetry breaking pattern of such models during the inflationary epoch with the Hubble expansion rate 10^{14} GeV, and identify the range of the QCD axion decay constant, as well as the corresponding relic axion abundance, consistent with known cosmological constraints. In addition to the case that the PQ symmetry is restored during inflation, there are other viable scenarios, including that the PQ symmetry is broken during inflation at high scales around 10^{16}-10^{17} GeV due to a large Hubble-induced tachyonic scalar mass from the U(1)_A D-term, while the present axion scale is in the range 10^{9}-5\times 10^{13} GeV, where the present value larger than 10^{12} GeV requires a fine-tuning of the axion misalignment angle. We also discuss the implications of our results for the size of SUSY breaking soft masses.Comment: 29 pages, 1 figure; v3: analysis updated including the full anharmonic effects, references added, version accepted for publication in JHE

Conformal algebra: R-matrix and star-triangle relation

The main purpose of this paper is the construction of the R-operator which acts in the tensor product of two infinite-dimensional representations of the conformal algebra and solves Yang-Baxter equation. We build the R-operator as a product of more elementary operators S_1, S_2 and S_3. Operators S_1 and S_3 are identified with intertwining operators of two irreducible representations of the conformal algebra and the operator S_2 is obtained from the intertwining operators S_1 and S_3 by a certain duality transformation. There are star-triangle relations for the basic building blocks S_1, S_2 and S_3 which produce all other relations for the general R-operators. In the case of the conformal algebra of n-dimensional Euclidean space we construct the R-operator for the scalar (spin part is equal to zero) representations and prove that the star-triangle relation is a well known star-triangle relation for propagators of scalar fields. In the special case of the conformal algebra of the 4-dimensional Euclidean space, the R-operator is obtained for more general class of infinite-dimensional (differential) representations with nontrivial spin parts. As a result, for the case of the 4-dimensional Euclidean space, we generalize the scalar star-triangle relation to the most general star-triangle relation for the propagators of particles with arbitrary spins.Comment: Added references and corrected typo

A qualitative study of healthcare professionals' experiences of providing maternity care for Muslim women in the UK.

BACKGROUND: A growing Muslim population in the UK suggests the need for healthcare professionals (HCPs) to gain a better understanding of how the Islamic faith influences health related perceptions and healthcare seeking behaviour. Although some researchers have explored the experiences of Muslim women as recipients of healthcare, little attention has been paid to the challenges HCPs face as service providers on a day-to-day basis whilst caring for Muslim women. The aim of this study was to investigate HPCs lived experiences of providing maternity care for Muslim women. METHOD: Data was collected through twelve semi-structured one-to-one qualitative interviews with HCPs in a large National Health Service (NHS) maternity unit located in the North West of England. Interview participants included Community and specialist clinic (e.g. clinic for non-English speakers), Midwives in a variety of specialist roles (7), Gynaecology Nurses (2), Breastfeeding Support Workers (2) and a Sonographer (1). The audio-recorded interviews were transcribed and analysed thematically. RESULTS: The majority of participants expressed an understanding of some religious values and practices related to Muslim women, such as fasting the month of Ramadhan and that pregnant and breastfeeding women are exempt from this. However, HCPs articulated the challenges they faced when dealing with certain religious values and practices, and how they tried to respond to Muslim women's specific needs. Emerging themes included: 1) HCPs perceptions about Muslim women; 2) HCPs understanding and awareness of religious practices; 3) HCPs approaches in addressing and supporting Muslim women's religious needs; 4) Importance of training in providing culturally and religiously appropriate woman-centred care. CONCLUSION: Through this study we gained insight into the day-to-day experiences of HCPs providing care provision for Muslim women. HCPs showed an understanding of the importance of religious and cultural practices in addressing the needs of Muslim women as part of their role as maternity care providers. However, they also identified a need to develop training programmes that focus on cultural and religious practices and their impact on women's health care needs. This will help support HCPs in overcoming the challenges faced when dealing with needs of women from different backgrounds

Hypofractionated radiotherapy has the potential for second cancer reduction

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background and Purpose</p> <p>A model for carcinoma and sarcoma induction was used to study the dependence of carcinogenesis after radiotherapy on fractionation.</p> <p>Materials and methods</p> <p>A cancer induction model for radiotherapy doses including fractionation was used to model carcinoma and sarcoma induction after a radiation treatment. For different fractionation schemes the dose response relationships were obtained. Tumor induction was studied as a function of dose per fraction.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>If it is assumed that the tumor is treated up to the same biologically equivalent dose it was found that large dose fractions could decrease second cancer induction. The risk decreases approximately linear with increasing fraction size and is more pronounced for sarcoma induction. Carcinoma induction decreases by around 10% per 1 Gy increase in fraction dose. Sarcoma risk is decreased by about 15% per 1 Gy increase in fractionation. It is also found that tissue which is irradiated using large dose fractions to dose levels lower than 10% of the target dose potentially develop less sarcomas when compared to tissues irradiated to all dose levels. This is not observed for carcinoma induction.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>It was found that carcinoma as well as sarcoma risk decreases with increasing fractionation dose. The reduction of sarcoma risk is even more pronounced than carcinoma risk. Hypofractionation is potentially beneficial with regard to second cancer induction.</p

Logistics of community smallpox control through contact tracing and ring vaccination: a stochastic network model

BACKGROUND: Previous smallpox ring vaccination models based on contact tracing over a network suggest that ring vaccination would be effective, but have not explicitly included response logistics and limited numbers of vaccinators. METHODS: We developed a continuous-time stochastic simulation of smallpox transmission, including network structure, post-exposure vaccination, vaccination of contacts of contacts, limited response capacity, heterogeneity in symptoms and infectiousness, vaccination prior to the discontinuation of routine vaccination, more rapid diagnosis due to public awareness, surveillance of asymptomatic contacts, and isolation of cases. RESULTS: We found that even in cases of very rapidly spreading smallpox, ring vaccination (when coupled with surveillance) is sufficient in most cases to eliminate smallpox quickly, assuming that 95% of household contacts are traced, 80% of workplace or social contacts are traced, and no casual contacts are traced, and that in most cases the ability to trace 1–5 individuals per day per index case is sufficient. If smallpox is assumed to be transmitted very quickly to contacts, it may at times escape containment by ring vaccination, but could be controlled in these circumstances by mass vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: Small introductions of smallpox are likely to be easily contained by ring vaccination, provided contact tracing is feasible. Uncertainties in the nature of bioterrorist smallpox (infectiousness, vaccine efficacy) support continued planning for ring vaccination as well as mass vaccination. If initiated, ring vaccination should be conducted without delays in vaccination, should include contacts of contacts (whenever there is sufficient capacity) and should be accompanied by increased public awareness and surveillance

High "Normal" blood glucose is associated with decreased brain volume and cognitive performance in the 60s: the PATH through Life Study

Context:Type 2 diabetes is associated with cerebral atrophy, cognitive impairment and dementia. We recently showed higher glucose levels in the normal range not to be free of adverse effects and to be associated with greater hippocampal and amygdalar atrophy in older community-dwelling individuals free of diabetes.Objective:This study aimed to determine whether blood glucose levels in the normal range

Silencing of the Rotavirus NSP4 Protein Decreases the Incidence of Biliary Atresia in Murine Model

Biliary atresia is a common disease in neonates which causes obstructive jaundice and progressive hepatic fibrosis. Our previous studies indicate that rotavirus infection is an initiator in the pathogenesis of experimental biliary atresia (BA) through the induction of increased nuclear factor-kappaB and abnormal activation of the osteopontin inflammation pathway. In the setting of rotavirus infection, rotavirus nonstructural protein 4 (NSP4) serves as an important immunogen, viral protein 7 (VP7) is necessary in rotavirus maturity and viral protein 4 (VP4) is a virulence determiner. The purpose of the current study is to clarify the roles of NSP4, VP7 and VP4 in the pathogenesis of experimental BA. Primary cultured extrahepatic biliary epithelia were infected with Rotavirus (mmu18006). Small interfering RNA targeting NSP4, VP7 or VP4 was transfected before rotavirus infection both in vitro and in vivo. We analyzed the incidence of BA, morphological change, morphogenesis of viral particles and viral mRNA and protein expression. The in vitro experiments showed NSP4 silencing decreased the levels of VP7 and VP4, reduced viral particles and decreased cytopathic effect. NSP4-positive cells had strongly positive expression of integrin subunit α2. Silencing of VP7 or VP4 partially decreased epithelial injury. Animal experiments indicated after NSP4 silencing, mouse pups had lower incidence of BA than after VP7 or VP4 silencing. However, 33.3% of VP4-silenced pups (N = 6) suffered BA and 50% of pups (N = 6) suffered biliary injury after VP7 silencing. Hepatic injury was decreased after NSP4 or VP4 silencing. Neither VP4 nor VP7 were detected in the biliary ducts after NSP4. All together, NSP4 silencing down-regulates VP7 and VP4, resulting in decreased incidence of BA