58 research outputs found
Real and Virtual Compton Scattering off the Nucleon
A review is given of the very recent developments in the fields of real and
virtual Compton scattering off the nucleon. Both real and virtual Compton
scattering reactions are discussed at low outgoing photon energy where one
accesses polarizabilities of the nucleon. The real Compton scattering at large
momentum transfer is discussed which is asymptotically a tool to obtain
information on the valence quark wave function of the nucleon. The rapid
developments in deeply virtual Compton scattering and associated meson
electroproduction reactions at high energy, high photon virtuality and small
momentum transfer to the nucleon are discussed. A unified theoretical
description of those processes has emerged over the last few years, which gives
access to new, generalized parton distributions. The experimental status and
perspectives in these fields are also discussed.Comment: 25 pages, 17 figure
Modeling the Subsurface Structure of Sunspots
While sunspots are easily observed at the solar surface, determining their
subsurface structure is not trivial. There are two main hypotheses for the
subsurface structure of sunspots: the monolithic model and the cluster model.
Local helioseismology is the only means by which we can investigate
subphotospheric structure. However, as current linear inversion techniques do
not yet allow helioseismology to probe the internal structure with sufficient
confidence to distinguish between the monolith and cluster models, the
development of physically realistic sunspot models are a priority for
helioseismologists. This is because they are not only important indicators of
the variety of physical effects that may influence helioseismic inferences in
active regions, but they also enable detailed assessments of the validity of
helioseismic interpretations through numerical forward modeling. In this paper,
we provide a critical review of the existing sunspot models and an overview of
numerical methods employed to model wave propagation through model sunspots. We
then carry out an helioseismic analysis of the sunspot in Active Region 9787
and address the serious inconsistencies uncovered by
\citeauthor{gizonetal2009}~(\citeyear{gizonetal2009,gizonetal2009a}). We find
that this sunspot is most probably associated with a shallow, positive
wave-speed perturbation (unlike the traditional two-layer model) and that
travel-time measurements are consistent with a horizontal outflow in the
surrounding moat.Comment: 73 pages, 19 figures, accepted by Solar Physic
On the Holographic RG-flow and the Low-energy, Strong Coupling, Large N Limit
From the AdS/CFT correspondence, we learn that the classical evolution of
supergravity in the bulk can be reduced to a RG-flow equation for the dual
low-energy, strongly coupled and large N gauge theory on the boundary. This
result has been used to obtain interesting relations between the various terms
in the gravitational part of the boundary effective action, in particular the
term that affect the cosmological constant. It is found that once the
cosmological constant is cancelled in the UV theory, the RG-flow symmetry of
the boundary effective action automatically implies the existence of zero
cosmological constant solutions that extend all the way into the IR. Given the
standard (and well founded) contradiction between the RG-flow idea and the
observational evidence of a small cosmological constant, this is considered to
be an important progress, albeit incomplete, towards the final solution.
Motivated by this success, it would be interesting to see whether this
RG-stability extends outside the scope of strong 't Hooft coupling and large N
regime that are implicitly assumed in the de Boer-Verlinde-Verlinde
Hamilton-Jacobi formulation of the holographic RG-flow equations of the
boundary theory. In this paper, we address this question. Taking into account
the leading order corrections in the 1/N and parameters, we
derive new bulk/boundary relations, from which one can read all the local terms
in the boundary effective action. Next, we use the resulting constraints, to
examine whether the RG-stability of the cosmological constant extends to the
new coupling regime. It would be also interesting to use these constraints to
study the Randall-Sundrum scenario in this case.Comment: 27 pages, LateX, no figures, minor changes, typos corrected and added
more reference
Stress testing and non-invasive coronary angiography in patients with suspected coronary artery disease: time for a new paradigm
Diagnosis and management of coronary artery disease represents major challenges to our health care system, affecting millions of patients each year. Until recently, the diagnosis of coronary artery disease was possible only through cardiac catheterization and invasive coronary angiography. To avoid the risks of an invasive procedure, stress testing is often employed for an initial assessment of patients with suspected coronary artery disease, serving as a gatekeeper for cardiac catheterization. With the emergence of non-invasive coronary angiography, the question arises if such a strategy is still sensible, particularly, in view of only a modest agreement between stress testing results and the presence of coronary artery disease established by cardiac catheterization. Much data in support of the diagnostic accuracy and prognostic value of non-invasive coronary angiography by computed tomography have emerged within the last few years. These data challenge the role of stress testing as the initial imaging modality in patients with suspected coronary artery disease. This article reviews the clinical utility, limitations, as well as the hazards of stress testing compared with non-invasive coronary artery imaging by computed tomography. Finally, the implications of this review are discussed in relation to clinical practice
Gastro-intestinal parasitism among two swine populations in Malaysia: highlighting the zoonotic transmissible protozoan Balantidium coli infections
Limited information is available regarding gastro-intestinal (GI) parasitic infections in Malaysian swine populations. Hence, the present study aims to determine the prevalence of GI parasites in two swine populations in Malaysia, using formalin-ether concentration technique. In the present study, three helminths and two protozoa were detected in 91 swine rectal fecal samples. The zoonotic transmissible protozoan, Balantidium coli (22.0%) had the highest infection rate, followed by strongyle (4.4%), Entamoeba spp. (2.2%), Fasciolopsis spp. (1.1%) and Trichuris suis (1.1%). The co-infection between T. suis and B. coli was also found in this study
Co-occurrence of mosquito larvae in stagnant water in residential areas in Malaysia
Background: The importance of mosquito-borne diseases can be aggravated when there is an occurrence of mixed infestation between the mosquitoes in a habitat. However, there is limited available information on mixed infestation behavior among Malaysian mosquitoes. Objective: We elucidated the nature of co-occurrence among mosquito species from residential areas in Malaysia. Methods: Entomological investigation was carried out by using a previously described larval dipping method in 20 residential areas across 11 states and a federal territory (i.e., Kuala Lumpur) in Peninsular Malaysia as well as two states in East Malaysia. Results: Of 20 study sites, eight study sites exhibited co-occurrence of mosquito larvae, ranging from 1.28 to 50.00. Culex quinquefasciatus was able to breed simultaneously with Cx. gelidus (10.00-50.00), Lutzia fuscanus (2.94-13.33), Cx. vishnui (5.00) and Armigeres subalbatus (1.28-3.77). On the other hand, Cx. vishnui was able to breed simultaneously with Cx. gelidus (20.00) and Lu. fuscanus (3.33). Conclusion: The findings of this study have implications for the development of a better understanding of their mixed infestation behavior and prevention of vector-borne disease transmission from these study sites
Nationwide Distribution of Culex Mosquitoes and Associated Habitat Characteristics at Residential Areas in Malaysia
A standardized larval dipping method was used to determine the infestation rates of Culex and other species of mosquitoes in stagnant water at 20 residential areas. This study also examined the associations between Culex distribution and various habitat characteristics across all states in Malaysia. Identification of 7,848 specimens yielded 6 species dominated by Culex quinquefasciatus (82.74), followed by Cx. vishui (14.39), Cx. gelidus (2.70), Lutzia fuscanus (0.11), Armigeres subalbatus (0.05), and Anopheles separatus (0.01). The Culex larvae occurred in stagnant water with pH ranging from 6.4 to 8.2; conductivity, 139.7 to 6635.2 s/cm; salinity, 0.07 to 3.64 ppt; total dissolved solids, 0.09 to 4.27g/liter; and dissolved oxygen, 5.11 to 8.11 mg/liter. The mean number of Culex larvae was positively correlated with pH, conductivity, salinity, and total dissolved solids. In contrast, the elevation and dissolved oxygen were found negatively correlated with mean number of Culex larvae. This study documented baseline information on the habitat characteristics of Culex species for the 1st time at different residential areas in Malaysia. The findings of this study will be a timely reminder to local authorities that effective control measures should be monitored regularly in order to reduce the nuisance of these mosquitoes and the risks of disease transmission. © 2012 by The American Mosquito Control Association, Inc
Co-infection of Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus spp. among livestock in Malaysia as revealed by amplification and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer II DNA region
Background
Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus spp. are reported to be the most prevalent and highly pathogenic parasites in livestock, particularly in small ruminants. However, the routine conventional tool used in Malaysia could not differentiate the species accurately and therefore limiting the understanding of the co-infections between these two genera among livestock in Malaysia. This study is the first attempt to identify the strongylids of veterinary importance in Malaysia (i.e., H. contortus and Trichostrongylus spp.) by amplification and sequencing of the Internal Transcribed Spacer II DNA region.
Results
Overall, 118 (cattle: 11 of 98 or 11.2%; deer: 4 of 70 or 5.7%; goats: 99 of 157 or 63.1%; swine: 4 of 91 or 4.4%) out of the 416 collected fecal samples were microscopy positive with strongylid infection. The PCR and sequencing results demonstrated that 93 samples (1 or 25.0% of deer; 92 or 92.9% of goats) contained H. contortus. In addition, Trichostrongylus colubriformis was observed in 75 (75.8% of 99) of strongylid infected goats and Trichostrongylus axei in 4 (4.0%) of 99 goats and 2 (50.0%) of 4 deer. Based on the molecular results, co-infection of H. contortus and Trichostrongylus spp. (H. contortus + T. colubriformis denoted as HTC; H. contortus + T. axei denoted as HTA) were only found in goats. Specifically, HTC co-infections have higher rate (71 or 45.2% of 157) compared to HTA co-infections (3 or 1.9% of 157).
Conclusions
The present study is the first molecular identification of strongylid species among livestock in Malaysia which is essential towards a better knowledge of the epidemiology of gastro-intestinal parasitic infection among livestock in the country. Furthermore, a more comprehensive or nationwide molecular-based study on gastro-intestinal parasites in livestock should be carried out in the future, given that molecular tools could assist in improving diagnosis of veterinary parasitology in Malaysia due to its high sensitivity and accuracy
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