Braaten-Pisarski Method at Finite Chemical Potential

The effective perturbation theory developed by Braaten and Pisarski for gauge theories at finite temperature is extended to finite chemical potential. As a first application the collisional energy loss of a heavy quark propagating through a quark-gluon plasma with non-vanishing quark chemical potential is considered. Assuming $\mu /T\simeq 1$, motivated by numerical simulations of heavy ion collisions at RHIC energies, we find that the effect of the quark chemical potential is rather small, unless the energy density instead of the temperature is fixed.Comment: 14 pages, REVTEX, 6 postscript figures appended, UGI-94-1

Hard photon production rate of a quark-gluon plasma at finite quark chemical potential

We compute the photon production rate of a quark-gluon plasma (QGP) at finite quark chemical potential $\mu$ using the Braaten-Pisarski method, thus continuing the work of Kapusta, Lichard, and Seibert who did the calculation for $\mu =0$.Comment: 9 pages, revtex, no figures, error in soft part corrected, figures available at ftp://theorie.physik.uni-giessen.de/usr/users/ftp/photon

Concurrent infections with vector-borne pathogens associated with fatal anaemia in cattle: haematology and blood chemistry

An outbreak of a fatal haemolytic anaemia in a dairy herd of cattle in Switzerland was shown to be associated with infections with five vector-borne pathogens, namely Anaplasma marginale, A. phagocytophilum, Babesia bigemina, a Theileria spp belonging to the buffeli/sergenti/orientalis complex and haemotrophic Mycoplasma spp. The latter three had not been documented before this outbreak in Switzerland. To characterise the haematological and blood chemical changes in these unique cows, packed cell volume was determined in all 286 blood samples, blood smears, and complete haematology were performed from 285 and 173 blood samples, respectively, and biochemical parameters were assayed in 105 serum samples. Regenerative anaemia was the key sign of illness. Red blood cells of anaemic cattle were hypochromic and macrocytic. Anaemic animals had reduced platelet cell counts and increased total white cell counts. In addition, increased serum bilirubin, blood aspartate aminotransferase, gamma glutamyltransferase, glutamic dehydrogenase and blood urea nitrogen and decreased magnesium, calcium and albumin levels were found in anaemic cattle when compared to animals with normal packed cell volume. Most changes could not be attributed to a single infection. A. marginale seemed to be important in causing the outbreak, but co-infections may have aggravated the disease development and clinical signs. Thus, when encountering cattle with haemolytic anaemia, all of the mentioned pathogens should be included as differential diagnosi

13-year follow-up of a randomized controlled study on zirconia and titanium abutments

OBJECTIVES: To assess survival rates and compare technical, biological, and esthetic outcomes of customized zirconia and titanium abutments at 13 years post loading. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Initially, 22 patients with 40 implants in posterior regions were included. The sites were randomly assigned to 20 customized zirconia abutments with cemented all ceramic crowns (ACC) and 20 customized titanium abutments with cemented metal ceramic crowns (MCC). At a mean follow-up of 13.4 years, patients were examined and implants/restorations assessed for survival and technical complications, as well as biological and esthetic outcomes (pocket probing depth [PPD], bleeding on probing [BOP], plaque control record [PCR], bone level [BL], papilla index [PAP], mucosal thickness, and recession (distance of the margo mucosae [MM]/margo gingivae MG)). Descriptive analyses were performed for all outcome measures. RESULTS: Fifteen patients with 21 abutments (13 zirconia, 8 titanium) were examined at 13 years. The drop-out rate was 25% (patient level). The technical survival rate of the abutments was 100%. The survival rate on the restorative level (crowns) was 100%. The assessed biological outcomes (PPD, PCR, BOP, BL) and esthetic outcomes (MG, PAP) were similar. CONCLUSIONS: Zirconia and titanium abutments supporting single implant-borne restorations rendered a high survival rate and minimal differences in terms of technical, biological, and esthetic outcomes at 13 years of follow-up

MOSAiC goes O2A - Arctic Expedition Data Flow from Observations to Archives

During the largest polar expedition in history starting in September 2019, the German research icebreaker Polarstern spends a whole year drifting with the ice through the Arctic Ocean. The MOSAiC expedition takes the closest look ever at the Arctic even throughout the polar winter to gain fundamental insights and most unique on-site data for a better understanding of global climate change. Hundreds of researchers from 20 countries are involved. Scientists will use the in situ gathered data instantaneously in near-real time modus as well as long afterwards all around the globe taking climate research to a completely new level. Hence, proper data management, sampling strategies beforehand, and monitoring actual data flow as well as processing, analysis and sharing of data during and long after the MOSAiC expedition are the most essential tools for scientific gain and progress. To prepare for that challenge we adapted and integrated the research data management framework O2A “Data flow from Observations to Archives” to the needs of the MOSAiC expedition on board Polarstern as well as on land for data storage and access at the Alfred Wegener Institute Computing and Data Center in Bremerhaven, Germany. Our O2A-framework assembles a modular research infrastructure comprising a collection of tools and services. These components allow researchers to register all necessary sensor metadata beforehand linked to automatized data ingestion and to ensure and monitor data flow as well as to process, analyze, and publish data to turn the most valuable and uniquely gained arctic data into scientific outcomes. The framework further allows for the integration of data obtained with discrete sampling devices into the data flow. These requirements have led us to adapt the generic and cost-effective framework O2A to enable, control, and access the flow of sensor observations to archives in a cloud-like infrastructure on board Polarstern and later on to land based repositories for international availability. Major roadblocks of the MOSAiC-O2A data flow framework are (i) the increasing number and complexity of research platforms, devices, and sensors, (ii) the heterogeneous interdisciplinary driven requirements towards, e. g., satellite data, sensor monitoring, in situ sample collection, quality assessment and control, processing, analysis and visualization, and (iii) the demand for near real time analyses on board as well as on land with limited satellite bandwidth. The key modules of O2A's digital research infrastructure established by AWI are implementing the FAIR principles: SENSORWeb, to register sensor applications and sampling devices and capture controlled meta data before and alongside any measurements in the field Data ingest, allowing researchers to feed data into storage systems and processing pipelines in a prepared and documented way, at best in controlled near real-time data streams Dashboards allowing researchers to find and access data and share and collaborate among partners Workspace enabling researchers to access and use data with research software utilizing a cloud-based virtualized infrastructure that allows researchers to analyze massive amounts of data on the spot Archiving and publishing data via repositories and Digital Object Identifiers (DOI

Dispersion theoretical analysis of the nucleon form factors

We review the achievements of the project C.2, that deals with a dispersion theoretical analysis of the nucleon form factors. We have analyzed the world data for the space-like and time-like form factors to extract nucleon radii and vector meson coupling constants. Our proton charge radius rPE ≃ 0.85 fm has gained prominence in the so-called proton radius puzzle, see Ref. [1]. We also have analyzed the strong energy dependence of the e+e− → p̅p amplitude at the nucleon-antinucleon threshold, two-photon exchange effects and isospin violation in the isovector nucleon form factors

Longitudinal Study of the Dynamics of Vaginal Microflora during Two Consecutive Menstrual Cycles

Although the vaginal microflora (VMF) has been well studied, information on the fluctuation of the different bacterial species throughout the menstrual cycle and the information on events preceding the presence of disturbed VMF is still very limited. Documenting the dynamics of the VMF during the menstrual cycle might provide better insights. In this study, we assessed the presence of different Lactobacillus species in relation to the BV associated species during the menstrual cycle, assessed the influence of the menstrual cycle on the different categories of vaginal microflora and assessed possible causes, such as menstruation and sexual intercourse, of VMF disturbance. To our knowledge, this is the first longitudinal study in which swabs and Gram stains were available for each day of two consecutive menstrual cycles, whereby 8 grades of VMF were distinguished by Gram stain analysis, and whereby the swabs were cultured every 7(th) day and identification of the bacterial isolates was carried out with a molecular technique.status: publishe

Novel inhibitor for prolyl tripeptidyl aminopeptidase from Porphyromonas gingivalis and details of substrate-recognition mechanism.

A new inhibitor, H-Ala-Ile-pyrrolidin-2-yl boronic acid, was developed as an inhibitor against prolyl tripeptidyl aminopeptidase with a K(i) value of 88.1 nM. The structure of the prolyl tripeptidyl aminopeptidase complexed with the inhibitor (enzyme-inhibitor complex) was determined at 2.2 A resolution. The inhibitor was bound to the active site through a covalent bond between Ser603 and the boron atom of the inhibitor. This structure should closely mimic the structure of the reaction intermediate between the enzyme and substrate. We previously proposed that two glutamate residues, Glu205 and Glu636, are involved in the recognition of substrates. In order to clarify the function of these glutamate residues in substrate recognition, three mutant enzymes, E205A, E205Q, and E636A were generated by site-directed mutagenesis. The E205A mutant was expressed as an inclusion body. The E205Q mutant was expressed in soluble form, but no activity was detected. Here, the structures of the E636A mutant and its complex with the inhibitor were determined. The inhibitor was located at almost the same position as in the wild-type enzyme-inhibitor complex. The amino group of the inhibitor interacted with Glu205 and the main-chain carbonyl group of Gln203. In addition, a water molecule in the place of Glu636 of the wild-type enzyme interacted with the amino group of the inhibitor. This water molecule was located near the position of Glu636 in the wild-type and formed a hydrogen bond with Gln203. The k(cat)/K(M) values of the E636A mutant toward the two substrates used were smaller than those of the wild-type by two orders of magnitude. The K(i) value of our inhibitor for the E636A mutant was 48.8 microM, which was 554-fold higher than that against the wild-type enzyme. Consequently, it was concluded that Glu205 and Glu636 are significant residues for the N-terminal recognition of a substrate