Running of the coupling and quark mass in SU(2) with two adjoint fermions

We simulate SU(2) gauge theory with two massless Dirac fermions in the adjoint representation. We calculate the running of the Schroedinger Functional coupling and the renormalised quark mass over a wide range of length scales. The running of the coupling is consistent with the existence of an infrared fixed point (IRFP), and we find 0.07 < gamma < 0.56 at the IRFP, depending on the value of the critical coupling.Comment: Talk presented at the XXVII International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory, July 26-31, 2009, Peking University, Beijing, China; 7 pages, 4 figure

Mass anomalous dimension in SU(2) with two adjoint fermions

We study SU(2) lattice gauge theory with two flavours of Dirac fermions in the adjoint representation. We measure the running of the coupling in the Schroedinger Functional (SF) scheme and find it is consistent with existing results. We discuss how systematic errors affect the evidence for an infrared fixed point (IRFP). We present the first measurement of the running of the mass in the SF scheme. The anomalous dimension of the chiral condensate, which is relevant for phenomenological applications, can be easily extracted from the running of the mass, under the assumption that the theory has an IRFP. At the current level of accuracy, we can estimate 0.05 < gamma < 0.56 at the IRFP.Comment: 30 pages, 11 figure

Mass anomalous dimension in SU(2) with six fundamental fermions

We simulate SU(2) gauge theory with six massless fundamental Dirac fermions. We measure the running of the coupling and the mass in the Schroedinger Functional scheme. We observe very slow running of the coupling constant. We measure the mass anomalous dimension gamma, and find it is between 0.135 and 1.03 in the range of couplings consistent with the existence of an IR fixed point.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures; v3: published versio

A fluorescence lifetime-based fibre-optic glucose sensor using glucose/galactose-binding protein

Alternative, non-electrochemistry-based technologies for continuous glucose monitoring are needed for eventual use in diabetes mellitus. As part of a programme investigating fluorescent glucose sensors, we have developed fibre-optic biosensors using glucose/galactose binding protein (GBP) labelled with the environmentally sensitive fluorophore, Badan. GBP-Badan was attached via an oligohistidine-tag to the surface of Ni-nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA)-functionalized agarose or polystyrene beads. Fluorescence lifetime increased in response to glucose, observed by fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy of the GBP-Badan-beads. Either GBP-Badan agarose or polystyrene beads were loaded into a porous chamber at the end of a multimode optical fibre. Fluorescence lifetime responses were recorded using pulsed laser excitation, high speed photodiode detection and time-correlated single-photon counting. The maximal response was at 100 mM glucose with an apparent K-d of 13 mM (agarose) and 20 mM (polystyrene), and good working-day stability was demonstrated. We conclude that fluorescence lifetime fibre-optic glucose sensors based on GBP-Badan are suitable for development as clinical glucose monitors

Improved Lattice Spectroscopy of Minimal Walking Technicolor

We present a numerical study of spectroscopic observables in the SU(2) gauge theory with two adjoint fermions using improved source and sink operators. We compare in detail our improved results with previous determinations of masses that used point sources and sinks and we investigate possible systematic effects in both cases. Such comparison enables us to clearly assess the impact of a short temporal extent on the physical picture, and to investigate some effects due to the finite spatial box. While confirming the IR-conformal behaviour of the theory, our investigation shows that in order to make firm quantitative predictions, a better handle on finite size effects is needed.Comment: 33 pages, 30 figures, 18 table

Activation of anion redox in P3 structure cobalt-doped sodium manganese oxide via introduction of transition metal vacancies

EJK would like to thank the Alistore ERI for the award of a studentship. This work was supported by the Faraday Institution (grant number FIRG018).Additional capacity delivered by oxygen redox activity may in principle represent a means of enhancing the electrochemical performance of layered sodium transition metal oxides. However, irreversible structural changes occurring during cycling typically cause significant capacity fade with limited reversibility of oxygen redox processes. Here, P3-structure Na0.67Co0.2Mn0.8O2 was synthesised under two different reaction conditions. Both materials exhibit very stable cycling performance in the voltage range 1.8-3.8 V where the redox couples of transition metals entirely dominate the electrochemical reaction. For the compound prepared under more oxidising conditions, anion redox activity is triggered in the wider voltage window 1.8-4.4 V in a reversible manner with exceptionally small voltage hysteresis (20 mV). The presence of vacancies in the transition metal layers is shown to play a critical role not only in generating unpaired O 2p states but also in stabilising the crystal structure in the high voltage region.PostprintPostprintPeer reviewe

Competitividad internacional de la cadena de vinos finos de la Argentina

p.149-157Se analizó la cadena de los vinos finos en la Argentina, con el objetivo de conocer los factores que hacen a la creciente competitividad de las exportaciones. En primer lugar, se calculó la distribución de la superficie plantada entre los productores primarios, se relevó el grado de concentración de las bodegas y se efectuó un análisis descriptivo de la distribución en el mercado interno y de las exportaciones. En segundo lugar, se elaboró un análisis FODA (Fortalezas, Oportunidades, Debilidades y Amenazas) de la cadena, particularmente enfocado a su desempeño en el mercado externo, con el fin de sugerir estrategias para mejorar la competitividad internacional de la cadena de vinos finos. Asimismo, a partir de la información relevada, se elaboró una aproximación cuantitativa al concepto de competitividad a través del índice de ventajas comparativas relevadas de Bela Ballasa. Por último, se resalta que el concepto de competitividad involucra un abordaje sistémico de la cadena, comprendiendo el estudio de distintos niveles de análisis, que deben ser considerados en conjunto para una mejor aproximación

A novel fluorescent sensor protein for detecting changes in airway surface liquid glucose concentration.

Both lung disease and elevation of blood glucose are associated with increased glucose concentration (from 0.4 to ~4.0 mM) in the airway surface liquid (ASL). This perturbation of ASL glucose makes the airway more susceptible to infection by respiratory pathogens. ASL is minute (~1 μl/cm(2)) and the measurement of glucose concentration in the small volume ASL is extremely difficult. Therefore, we sought to develop a fluorescent biosensor with sufficient sensitivity to determine glucose concentrations in ASL in situ. We coupled a range of environmentally sensitive fluorophores to mutated forms of a glucose/galactose-binding protein (GBP) including H152C and H152C/A213R and determined their equilibrium binding properties. Of these, GBP H152C/A213R-BADAN (Kd 0.86 ± 0.01 mM, Fmax/F0 3.6) was optimal for glucose sensing and in ASL increased fluorescence when basolateral glucose concentration was raised from 1 to 20 mM. Moreover, interpolation of the data showed that the glucose concentration in ASL was increased, with results similar to that using glucose oxidase analysis. The fluorescence of GBP H152C/A213R-BADAN in native ASL from human airway epithelial cultures in situ was significantly increased over time when basolateral glucose was increased from 5 to 20 mM. Overall our data indicate that this GBP is a useful tool to monitor glucose homoeostasis in the lung

Delineating the conformal window

We identify and characterise the conformal window in gauge theories relevant for beyond the standard model building, e.g. Technicolour, using the criteria of metric confinement and causal analytic couplings, which are known to be consistent with the phase diagram of supersymmetric QCD from Seiberg duality. Using these criteria we find perturbation theory to be consistent throughout the predicted conformal window for several of these gauge theories and we discuss recent lattice results in the light of our findings.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure