AFB(b) Status of Results

The status of results on forward-backward asymmetry in Z -> bbbar decays is reviewed. A comparison of LEP measurements, with emphasis on the final ALEPH measurement with leptons, and a critical discussion of average from heavy flavour electroweak combination is presented.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, to be published in Proceedings of "XXXVIIth Rencontres de Moriond - Electroweak Interactions and Unified Theories", Les Arcs, 9-16 March, 200

Studies of b-quark fragmentation

I will review new studies of b-quark fragmentation performed at the Z peak by ALEPH and SLD. An improved sensitivity to distinguish between fragmentation model and more accurate measurements of the mean b-hadron scaled energy have been obtained.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures, presented at XXXth ICHEP, Osak

An integral equation method for the inverse conductivity problem

We present an image reconstruction algorithm for the Inverse Conductivity Problem based on reformulating the problem in terms of integral equations. We use as data the values of injected electric currents and of the corresponding induced boundary potentials, as well as the boundary values of the electrical conductivity. We have used a priori information to find a regularized conductivity distribution by first solving a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind for the Laplacian of the potential, and then by solving a first order partial differential equation for the regularized conductivity itself. Many of the calculations involved in the method can be achieved analytically using the eigenfunctions of an integral operator defined in the paper.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figure

Anomalous thresholds and edge singularities in Electrical Impedance Tomography

Studies of models of current flow behaviour in Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) have shown that the current density distribution varies extremely rapidly near the edge of the electrodes used in the technique. This behaviour imposes severe restrictions on the numerical techniques used in image reconstruction algorithms. In this paper we have considered a simple two dimensional case and we have shown how the theory of end point/pinch singularities which was developed for studying the anomalous thresholds encountered in elementary particle physics can be used to give a complete description of the analytic structure of the current density near to the edge of the electrodes. As a byproduct of this study it was possible to give a complete description of the Riemann sheet manifold of the eigenfunctions of the logarithmic kernel. These methods can be readily extended to other weakly singular kernels.Comment: Correction of a misprint which occurred in the unnumbered formula preceding Eq. (14), LaTeX file as an uuencoded file, 40 pages with 12 figures, uses epsf.st

I Gesta Florentinorum di Sanzanome: una testimonianza significativa delle grandi imprese fiorentine tra gli anni '20 del sec. XII e gli anni '30 del sec. XIII

I Gesta Florentinorum di Sanzanome sono una testimonianza significativa delle grandi imprese fiorentine avvenute tra gli anni della conquista di Fiesole e gli anni '30 del sec. XIII. L'Autore, che inserisce orazioni e lettere ufficiali, vuole celebrare il primato di Firenze sotto ogni aspetto, anche quello dell'arte retorica. La cronaca conserva la memoria dei milites, protagonisti assoluti della vita politica fiorentina fino alle soglie degli anni '40 del Duecento. Sanzanome tiene a ricordare che sono stati proprio loro ad avere reso tanto grande Firenze

Approximate 3-Dimensional Electrical Impedance Imaging

We discuss a new approach to three-dimensional electrical impedance imaging based on a reduction of the information to be demanded from a reconstruction algorithm. Images are obtained from a single measurement by suitably simplifying the geometry of the measuring chamber and by restricting the nature of the object to be imaged and the information required from the image. In particular we seek to establish the existence or non-existence of a single object (or a small number of objects) in a homogeneous background and the location of the former in the (x,y)-plane defined by the measuring electrodes. Given in addition the conductivity of the object rough estimates of its position along the z-axis may be obtained. The approach may have practical applications.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, LaTeX, Appendix added and other minor change

RNA-seq analysis of PHD and VHL inhibitors reveals differences and similarities to the hypoxia response

Background: Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) transcription factors are well known to control the transcriptional response to hypoxia. Given the importance of cellular response to hypoxia, a number of pharmacological agents to interfere with this pathway have been developed and entered pre-clinical or clinical trial phases. However, how similar or divergent the transcriptional response elicited by different points of interference in cells is currently unknown. Methods: We performed RNA-sequencing to analyse the similarities and differences of transcriptional response in HeLa cells treated with hypoxia or chemical agents that stabilise HIF by inhibiting components of the hypoxia signalling pathway - prolyl hydroxylase (PHD) inhibitor or von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) inhibitor. Results: This analysis revealed that hypoxia produces the highest changes in gene transcription, with activation and repression of genes being in large numbers. Treatment with the PHD inhibitor IOX2 or the VHL inhibitor VH032 led mostly to gene activation, majorly via a HIF-dependent manner. These results were also confirmed by qRT-PCR using more specific and/or efficient inhibitors, FG-4592 (PHDs) and VH298 (VHL). Conclusion: PHD inhibition and VHL inhibition mimic gene activation promoted by hypoxia via a HIF-dependent manner. However, gene repression is mostly associated with the hypoxia response and not common to the response elicited by inhibitors of the pathway

Surface probing by fragment-based screening and computational methods identifies ligandable pockets on the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) E3 ubiquitin ligase

Beyond the targeting of E3 ubiquitin ligases to inhibit protein homeostasis, E3 ligase binders can be repurposed as targeted protein degraders (PROTACs or molecular glues). We sought to identify new binders of the VHL E3 ligase by biophysical fragment-based screening followed by X-ray crystallographic soaking. We identified fragments binding at the ElonginC:Cullin2 interface and a new cryptic pocket in VHL, along with other potential ligandable sites predicted computationally and found to bind solvent molecules in crystal structures. The elucidated interactions provide starting points for future ligand development

The pion-pion scattering amplitude. III: Improving the analysis with forward dispersion relations and Roy equations

We complete and improve the fits to experimental $\pi\pi$ scattering amplitudes, both at low and high energies, that we performed in the previous papers of this series. We then verify that the corresponding amplitudes satisfy analyticity requirements, in the form of partial wave analyticity at low energies, forward dispersion relations (FDR) at all energies, and Roy equations below$\bar{K}K$ threshold; the first by construction, the last two, inside experimental errors. Then we repeat the fits including as constraints FDR and Roy equations. The ensuing central values of the various scattering amplitudes verify very accurately FDR and, especially, Roy equations, and change very little from what we found by just fitting data, with the exception of the D2 wave phase shift, for which one parameter moves by $1.5 \sigma$. These improved parametrizations therefore provide a reliable representation of pion-pion amplitudes with which one can test various physical relations. We also present a list of low energy parameters and other observables. In particular, we find $a_0^{(0)}=0.223\pm0.009 M^{-1}_\pi$, $a_0^{(2)}=-0.0444\pm0.0045 M^{-1}_\pi$ and $\delta_0^{(0)}(m^2_K)-\delta_0^{(2)}(m^2_K)=50.9\pm1.2^{\rm o}$.Comment: Plain TeX. 29 figures. Version to be published in PRD, with improved P and F wave