Remarks on Form Factor Bounds

Improved model independent upper bounds on the weak transition form factors are derived using inclusive sum rules. Comparison of the new bounds with the old ones is made for the form factors h_{A_1} and h_V in B -> D* decays.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, title changed and typos corrected for journal publicatio

Solar Reector Design

The design of solar panels is investigated. Different aspects of this problem are presented. A formula averaging the solar energy received on a given location is derived rst. The energy received by the collecting solar panel is then calculated using a specially designed algorithm. The geometry of the device collecting the energy may then be optimised using different algorithms. The results show that for a given depth, devices of smaller width are more energy efficient than those of wider dimensions. This leads to a more economically efficient design

The role of TREX in gene expression and disease

TRanscription and EXport (TREX) is a conserved multisubunit complex essential for embryogenesis, organogenesis and cellular differentiation throughout life. By linking transcription, mRNA processing and export together, it exerts a physiologically vital role in the gene expression pathway. In addition, this complex prevents DNA damage and regulates the cell cycle by ensuring optimal gene expression. As the extent of TREX activity in viral infections, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and cancer emerges, the need for a greater understanding of TREX function becomes evident. A complete elucidation of the composition, function and interactions of the complex will provide the framework for understanding the molecular basis for a variety of diseases. This review details the known composition of TREX, how it is regulated and its cellular functions with an emphasis on mammalian systems

Multidimensional analysis of human intestinal fluid composition

The oral administration of solid dosage forms is the commonest method to achieve systemic therapy and relies on the drug’s solubility in human intestinal fluid (HIF), a key factor that influences bioavailability and biopharmaceutical classification. However, HIF is difficult to obtain and is known to be variable, which has led to the development of a range of simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) systems to determine drug solubility in vitro. In this study we have applied a novel multidimensional approach to analyse and characterise HIF composition using a published data set in both fasted and fed states with a view to refining the existing SIF approaches. The data set provided 152 and 172 measurements of five variables (total bile salt, phospholipid, total free fatty acid, cholesterol and pH) in time-dependent HIF samples from 20 volunteers in the fasted and fed state, respectively. The variable data sets for both fasted state and fed state are complex, do not follow normal distributions but the amphiphilic variable concentrations are correlated. When plotted 2-dimensionally a generally ellipsoid shaped data cloud with a positive slope is revealed with boundaries that enclose published fasted or fed HIF compositions. The data cloud also encloses the majority of fasted state and fed state SIF recipes and illustrates that the structured nature of design of experiment (DoE) approaches does not optimally cover the variable space and may examine media compositions that are not biorelevant. A principal component analysis in either fasted or fed state in combination with fitting an ellipsoid shape to enclose the data results in 8 points that capture over 95% of the compositional variability of HIF. The variable’s average rate of concentration change in both fasted state and fed state over a short time scale (10 min) is zero and a Euclidean analysis highlights differences between the fasted and fed states and among individual volunteers. The results indicate that a 9-point DoE (8 + 1 central point) could be applied to investigate drug solubility in vitro and provide statistical solubility limits. In addition, a single point could provide a worst-case solubility measurement to define the lowest biopharmaceutical classification boundary or for use during drug development. This study has provided a novel description of HIF composition. The approach could be expanded in multiple ways by incorporation of further data sets to improve the statistical coverage or to cover specific patient groups (e.g., paediatric). Further development might also be possible to analyse information on the time dependent behaviour of HIF and to guide HIF sampling and analysis protocols

The X-ray nebula around the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC4388

We report on X-ray emission from the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC4388 observed with the Chandra X-ray Observatory. A hard X-ray peak is found at the position of the active nucleus suggested by optical and radio observations. Extended soft X-ray emission correlates well with the ionization cone found in optical line emission. A large soft X-ray extension is found up to 16 kpc to the north of the galaxy. Photoionized gas with low ionization parameters (xi<3) appears to be the likely explanation of this emission. The same ionized gas clouds could be responsible for the optical [OIII] emission. Fe K line emission from cold material is found to be extended by a few kpc.Comment: 12 pages, one colour figure included, MNRAS in pres

Current-density functional for disordered systems

The effective action for the current and density is shown to satisfy an evolution equation, the functional generalization of Callan-Symanzik equation. The solution describes the dependence of the one-particle irreducible vertex functions on the strength of the quenched disorder and the annealed Coulomb interaction. The result is non-perturbative, no small parameter is assumed. The a.c. conductivity is obtained by the numerical solution of the evolution equation on finite lattices in the absence of the Coulomb interaction. The static limit is performed and the conductivity is found to be vanishing beyond a certain threshold of the impurity strength.Comment: final version, 28 pages, 17 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Breeding system and spatial isolation from congeners strongly constrain seed set in an insect-pollinated apomictic tree: Sorbus subcuneata (Rosaceae)

The article associated with this dataset is in ORE at: http://hdl.handle.net/10871/26965The datasets are the results of 1) pollen grain accumulation on stigmas. 2) Flowering phenology of individual trees as % of opened buds, with 50 percentile values of the cumulative flowering curve. 3) Location data for all trees of both species of flowering size (see article text) plus connectivity measures of maternal seed trees to all S. admonitor trees. X and y coordinates are GB OS National Grid. This data is related to the Scientific Reports paper of the same title.Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust, Paignton Zoo Environmental ParkNER

Application of natural deep eutectic solvents for the “green”extraction of vanillin from vanilla pods

Plant science

Application of natural deep eutectic solvents for the "green" extraction of vanillin from vanilla pods

Plant science

Polyakov loop correlators from D0-brane interactions in bosonic string theory

In this paper we re-derive the effective Nambu-Goto theory result for the Polyakov loop correlator, starting from the free bosonic string and using a covariant quantization. The boundary conditions are those of an open string attached to two D0-branes at spatial distance R, in a target space with compact euclidean time. The one-loop free energy contains topologically distinct sectors corresponding to multiple covers of the cylinder in target space bordered by the Polyakov loops. The sector that winds once reproduces exactly the Nambu-Goto partition function. In our approach, the world-sheet duality between the open and closed channel is most evident and allows for an explicit interpretation of the free energy in terms of tree level exchange of closed strings between boundary states. Our treatment is fully consistent only in d=26; extension to generic d may be justified for large R, and is supported by Montecarlo data. At shorter scales, consistency and Montecarlo data seem to suggest the necessity of taking into account the Liouville mode of Polyakov's formulation.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures, minor corrections, a few references added, version accepted for publication in JHE