THE GREEN-FUNCTION IN THE BLOCH-NORDSIECK MODEL FOR QED(3)

The electron Green's function is obtained in the Bloch-Nordsieck approximation of three-dimensional QED. Dimensional regularization is used in the intermediate stages of calculation.

NEUTRINOLESS DOUBLE-BETA DECAY IN AN SU(3)(L)CIRCLE-TIMES-U(1)(N) MODEL

We consider a model for the electroweak interactions with the SU(3)(L) circle times U(1)(N) gauge symmetry. We show that the conservation of the quantum number F = L+B forbids the appearance of massive neutrinos and the neutrinoless double-beta decay (beta beta)(0 nu). Explicit or/and spontaneous breaking of F implies that the neutrinos have an arbitrary mass. In addition the (beta beta)(0 nu) decay also has some channels that do not depend explicitly on the neutrino mass.

MODEL INDEPENDENCE OF SCATTERING OF 3 IDENTICAL BOSONS IN 2 DIMENSIONS

Within the framework of scattering integral equations in momentum space, we present numerical results of scattering of three identical bosons at low energies in two dimensions for short-range separable potentials. An analysis of the present numerical results reveals the three-particle scattering observables to be independent of potential shape provided the low-energy two-particle binding energy and scattering length are held fixed throughout the investigation. We think that the present conclusion of model independence will be valid for any potential, local or nonlocal, whose range is much smaller than the size of the two-particle bound state.

HEAVY CHARGED LEPTONS IN AN SU(3)L-CIRCLE-TIMES-U(1)N MODEL

We consider an SU(3)L x U(1)N model for the electroweak interactions which includes extra charged leptons which do not mix with the known leptons. These new leptons couple to Z0 only through vector currents. We consider constraints on the mass of one of these leptons coming from the Z0 width and from the muon (g - 2) factor. The last one is less restrictive than the former.

SU(3)CIRCLE-TIMES-U(1) MODEL FOR ELECTROWEAK INTERACTIONS

We consider a gauge model based on a SU(3)XU(1) symmetry in which the lepton number is violated explicitly by charged scalar and gauge bosons, including a vector field with double electric

Relaxation-chaos phenomena in celestial mechanics. I. On wisdom's model for the 3/1 kirkwood gap

Sudden eccentricity increases of asteroidal motion in 3/1 resonance with Jupiter were discovered and explained by J. Wisdom through the occurrence of jumps in the action corresponding to the critical angle (resonant combination of the mean motions). We pursue some aspects of this mechanism, which could be termed relaxation-chaos: that is, an unconventional form of homoclinic behavior arising in perturbed integrable Hamiltonian systems for which the KAM theorem hypothesis do not hold. © 1987.

The inhibition of 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase as a model for development of novel antimicrobials

EPSP synthase (EPSPS) is an essential enzyme in the shikimate pathway, transferring the enolpyruvyl group of phosphoenolpyruvate to shikimate-3-phosphate to form 5-enolpyruvyl-3-shikimate phosphate and inorganic phosphate. This enzyme is composed of two domains, which are formed by three copies of βαβαββ-folding units; in between there are two crossover chain segments hinging the nearly topologically symmetrical domains together and allowing conformational changes necessary for substrate conversion. The reaction is ordered with shikimate-3-phosphate binding first, followed by phosphoenolpyruvate, and then by the subsequent release of phosphate and EPSP. N-[phosphomethyl]glycine (glyphosate) is the commercial inhibitor of this enzyme. Apparently, the binding of shikimate-3-phosphate is necessary for glyphosate binding, since it induces the closure of the two domains to form the active site in the interdomain cleft. However, it is somehow controversial whether binding of shikimate-3-phosphate alone is enough to induce the complete conversion to the closed state. The phosphoenolpyruvate binding site seems to be located mainly on the C-terminal domain, while the binding site of shikimate-3-phosphate is located primarily in the N-terminal domain residues. However, recent results demonstrate that the active site of the enzyme undergoes structural changes upon inhibitor binding on a scale that cannot be predicted by conventional computational methods. Studies of molecular docking based on the interaction of known EPSPS structures with (R)- phosphonate TI analogue reveal that more experimental data on the structure and dynamics of various EPSPS-ligand complexes are needed to more effectively apply structure-based drug design of this enzyme in the future. © 2007 Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.

Estimating outcomes in newborn infants using fuzzy logic

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Synergistic Anti-Inflammatory Activity of the Antimicrobial Peptides Human Beta-Defensin-3 (hBD-3) and Cathelicidin (LL-37) in a Three-Dimensional Co-Culture Model of Gingival Epithelial Cells and Fibroblasts

Given the spread of antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens, antimicrobial peptides that can also modulate the immune response may be a novel approach for effectively controlling periodontal infections. In the present study, we used a three-dimensional (3D) co-culture model of gingival epithelial cells and fibroblasts stimulated with Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to investigate the anti-inflammatory properties of human beta-defensin-3 (hBD-3) and cathelicidin (LL-37) and to determine whether these antimicrobial peptides can act in synergy. The 3D co-culture model composed of gingival fibroblasts embedded in a collagen matrix overlaid with gingival epithelial cells had a synergistic effect with respect to the secretion of IL-6 and IL-8 in response to LPS stimulation compared to fibroblasts and epithelial cells alone. The 3D co-culture model was stimulated with non-cytotoxic concentrations of hBD-3 (10 and 20 mu M) and LL-37 (0.1 and 0.2 mu M) individually and in combination in the presence of A. actinomycetemcomitans LPS. A multiplex ELISA assay was used to quantify the secretion of 41 different cytokines. hBD-3 and LL-37 acted in synergy to reduce the secretion of GRO-alpha, G-CSF, IP-10, IL-6, and MCP-1, but only had an additive effect on reducing the secretion of IL-8 in response to A. actinomycetemcomitans LPS stimulation. The present study showed that hBD-3 acted in synergy with LL-37 to reduce the secretion of cytokines by an LPS-stimulated 3D model of gingival mucosa. This combination of antimicrobial peptides thus shows promising potential as an adjunctive therapy for treating inflammatory periodontitis.

Green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin-3-gallate and cranberry proanthocyanidins act in synergy with cathelicidin (LL-37) to reduce the LPS-induced inflammatory response in a three-dimensional co-culture model of gingival epithelial cells and fibroblasts

Objectives: The human antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin (LL-37) possesses anti-inflammatory properties that may contribute to attenuating the inflammatory process associated with chronic periodontitis. Plant polyphenols, including those from cranberry and green tea, have been reported to reduce inflammatory cytokine secretion by host cells. In the present study, we hypothesized that A-type cranberry proanthocyanidins (AC-PACs) and green tea epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) act in synergy with LL-37 to reduce the secretion of inflammatory mediators by oral mucosal cells. Methods: A three-dimensional (3D) co-culture model of gingival epithelial cells and fibroblasts treated with non-cytotoxic concentrations of AC-PACs (25 and 50 mg/ml), EGCG (1 and 5 mg/ml), and LL-37 (0.1 and 0.2 mM) individually and in combination (AC-PACs + LL-37 and EGCG + LL-37) were stimulated with Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Multiplex ELISA assays were used to quantify the secretion of 54 host factors, including chemokines, cytokines, growth factors, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). Results: LL-37, AC-PACs, and EGCG, individually or in combination, had no effect on the regulation of MMP and TIMP secretion but inhibited the secretion of several cytokines. ACPACs and LL-37 acted in synergy to reduce the secretion of CXC-chemokine ligand 1 (GRO-a), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), and interleukin-6 (IL-6), and had an additive effect on reducing the secretion of interleukin-8 (IL-8), interferon-g inducible protein 10 (IP-10), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in response to LPS stimulation. EGCG and LL-37 acted in synergy to reduce the secretion of GRO-a, G-CSF, IL-6, IL-8, and IP-10, and had an additive effect on MCP-1 secretion. Conclusion: The combination of LL-37 and natural polyphenols from cranberry and green tea acted in synergy to reduce the secretion of several cytokines by an LPS-stimulated 3D coculture model of oral mucosal cells. Such combinations show promising results as potential adjunctive therapies for treating inflammatory periodontitis.

A Monte Carlo study of the anisotropic N=3 Ashkin-Teller model

The phase diagram of an asymmetric N = 3 Ashkin-Teller model is obtained by a numerical analysis which combines Monte Carlo renormalization group and reweighting techniques. Present results reveal several differences with those obtained by mean-field calculations and a Hamiltonian approach. In particular, we found Ising critical exponents along a line where Goldschmidt has located the Kosterlitz-Thouless multicritical point. On the other hand, we did find nonuniversal exponents along another transition line. Symmetry breaking in this case is very similar to the N = 2 case, since the symmetries associated to only two of the Ising variables are broken. However, for large values of the coupling constant ratio XW = W/K, when the only broken symmetry is of a hidden variable, we detected first-order phase transitions giving evidence supporting the existence of a multicritical point, as suggested by Goldschmidt, but in a different region of the phase diagram. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Yang-Lee zeros of the two- and three-state Potts model defined on π3 Feynman diagrams

We present both analytical and numerical results on the position of partition function zeros on the complex magnetic field plane of the q=2 state (Ising) and the q=3 state Potts model defined on phi(3) Feynman diagrams (thin random graphs). Our analytic results are based on the ideas of destructive interference of coexisting phases and low temperature expansions. For the case of the Ising model, an argument based on a symmetry of the saddle point equations leads us to a nonperturbative proof that the Yang-Lee zeros are located on the unit circle, although no circle theorem is known in this case of random graphs. For the q=3 state Potts model, our perturbative results indicate that the Yang-Lee zeros lie outside the unit circle. Both analytic results are confirmed by finite lattice numerical calculations.

Fuzzy linguistic model for bioelectrical impedance vector analysis

Backgrounds Ea aims: The boundaries between the categories of body composition provided by vectorial analysis of bioimpedance are not well defined. In this paper, fuzzy sets theory was used for modeling such uncertainty. Methods: An Italian database with 179 cases 18-70 years was divided randomly into developing (n = 20) and testing samples (n = 159). From the 159 registries of the testing sample, 99 contributed with unequivocal diagnosis. Resistance/height and reactance/height were the input variables in the model. Output variables were the seven categories of body composition of vectorial analysis. For each case the linguistic model estimated the membership degree of each impedance category. To compare such results to the previously established diagnoses Kappa statistics was used. This demanded singling out one among the output set of seven categories of membership degrees. This procedure (defuzzification rule) established that the category with the highest membership degree should be the most likely category for the case. Results: The fuzzy model showed a good fit to the development sample. Excellent agreement was achieved between the defuzzified impedance diagnoses and the clinical diagnoses in the testing sample (Kappa = 0.85, p < 0.001). Conclusions: fuzzy linguistic model was found in good agreement with clinical diagnoses. If the whole model output is considered, information on to which extent each BIVA category is present does better advise clinical practice with an enlarged nosological framework and diverse therapeutic strategies. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

Magnetic moments of the low-lying J(P)=1/2(-), 3/2(-) Lambda resonances within the framework of the chiral quark model

The magnetic moments of the low-lying spin-parity J(P) = 1/2(-), 3/2(-) Lambda resonances, like, for example, Lambda(1405) 1/2(-), Lambda(1520) 3/2(-), as well as their transition magnetic moments, are calculated using the chiral quark model. The results found are compared with those obtained from the nonrelativistic quark model and those of unitary chiral theories, where some of these states are generated through the dynamics of two hadron coupled channels and their unitarization.