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A bstract Two-particle azimuthal correlations have been measured in neutral current deep inelastic ep scattering with virtuality Q 2 > 5 GeV 2 at a centre-of-mass energy s = 318 GeV recorded with the ZEUS detector at HERA. The correlations of charged particles have been measured in the range of laboratory pseudorapidity − 1 . 5 < η < 2 . 0 and transverse momentum 0 . 1 < p T < 5 . 0 GeV and event multiplicities N ch up to six times larger than the average 〈 N ch 〉 ≈ 5. The two-particle correlations have been measured in terms of the angular observables c n {2}  = 〈〈 cosn Δ φ 〉〉, where n is between 1 and 4 and ∆ φ is the relative azimuthal angle between the two particles. Comparisons with available models of deep inelastic scattering, which are tuned to reproduce inclusive particle production, suggest that the measured two-particle correlations are dominated by contributions from multijet production. The correlations observed here do not indicate the kind of collective behaviour recently observed at the highest RHIC and LHC energies in high-multiplicity hadronic collisions.

Background Surgical site infection (SSI) is a critical issue in colorectal surgery because it decreases postoperative patient quality of life. The rate of SSI in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) receiving immunosuppressive therapy is particularly high, suggesting that the SSI rate may increase with the introduction of biologic agents. Methods UC patients who underwent two-stage restorative proctocolectomy at our institution between April 2012 and December 2023 were included in this study. Clinical characteristics were analyzed and compared between an SSI group and a non-SSI group; possible risk factors for SSIs were also analyzed. Additionally, the following anti-SSI measures adopted at our hospital were included as explanatory variables: laparoscopic surgery, oral antibiotic prophylaxis and change of surgical instruments before wound closure. Results In total, 501 UC surgical patients were included. The incidence of overall SSIs was 45/501 (8.9%). The rates of incisional SSIs and organ/space SSIs were 26/501 (5.1%) and 30/501 (5.9%), respectively. Oral antibiotic prophylaxis was identified as a risk factor for overall SSIs (odds ratio: 0.45, 95% CI 0.20–0.99, p  =  0.02 ), incisional SSIs (odds ratio: 0.34, 95% CI 0.11–1.03, p  =  0.03 ) and organ/space SSIs (odds ratio: 0.35, 95% CI 0.12–0.98, p  =  0.04 ). The use of biologic and immunosuppressive agents was not associated with any SSIs. Conclusions Nonadministration of oral antibiotic prophylaxis was identified as a risk factor for SSIs. Oral antibiotic prophylaxis before restorative proctocolectomy may improve the postoperative quality of life of UC patients by preventing SSIs.

A new measurement of inclusive-jet cross sections in the Breit frame in neutral current deep inelastic scattering using the ZEUS detector at the HERA collider is presented. The data were taken in the years 2004–2007 at a centre-of-mass energy of 318 GeV and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 347 pb - 1 . The jets were reconstructed using the k t -algorithm in the Breit reference frame. They have been measured as a function of the squared momentum transfer, Q 2 , and the transverse momentum of the jets in the Breit frame, p ⊥ , Breit . The measured jet cross sections are compared to previous measurements and to perturbative QCD predictions. The measurement has been used in a next-to-next-to-leading-order QCD analysis to perform a simultaneous determination of parton distribution functions of the proton and the strong coupling, resulting in a value of α s ( M Z 2 ) = 0.1142 ± 0.0017 (experimental/fit) - 0.0007 + 0.0006 (model/parameterisation) - 0.0004 + 0.0006 (scale) , whose accuracy is improved compared to similar measurements. In addition, the running of the strong coupling is demonstrated using data obtained at different scales.

A bstract Collective behaviour of final-state hadrons, and multiparton interactions are studied in high-multiplicity ep scattering at a centre-of-mass energy s = 318 GeV with the ZEUS detector at HERA. Two- and four-particle azimuthal correlations, as well as multiplicity, transverse momentum, and pseudorapidity distributions for charged-particle multiplicities N ch ≥ 20 are measured. The dependence of two-particle correlations on the virtuality of the exchanged photon shows a clear transition from photoproduction to neutral current deep inelastic scattering. For the multiplicities studied, neither the measurements in photoproduction processes nor those in neutral current deep inelastic scattering indicate significant collective behaviour of the kind observed in high-multiplicity hadronic collisions at RHIC and the LHC. Comparisons of PYTHIA predictions with the measurements in photoproduction strongly indicate the presence of multiparton interactions from hadronic fluctuations of the exchanged photon.

The periodontitis-associated pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis colonizes and forms a biofilm in gingival crevices through fimbriae. It is known that the often-used strains ATCC 33277 and 381 produce long FimA fimbriae. We found a possible nonsense mutation within fimB, immediately downstream from fimA, coding a major subunit of FimA fimbriae of the strains. Indeed, P. gingivalis strains, except for ATCC 33277 and 381, universally expressed FimB, the gene product of fimB. Electron micrographs revealed that a FimB-restored strain had short and dense, “toothbrush”-like, FimA fimbriae. FimA overexpression elongated the fimbriae, whereas FimB overexpression shortened them. FimB restoration increased production of FimA and its accessory proteins. Thus, FimB regulates the length and expression of FimA fimbriae. Additionally, FimB restoration significantly reduced the release of FimA fimbriae from the cell surface, suggesting that FimB functions as an anchor of the fimbriae. The restoration enhanced adherent activity as well.

The azimuthal correlation angle,$$\\Delta \\phi $$Δ ϕ , between the scattered lepton and the leading jet in deep inelastic$$e^{\\pm }p$$e ± p scattering at HERA has been studied using data collected with the ZEUS detector at a centre-of-mass energy of$$\\sqrt{s} = 318 {\\,\\text {Ge}\\hspace{-0.66666pt}\\text {V}}$$s = 318 Ge V , corresponding to an integrated luminosity of$$326 \\,\\text {pb}^{-1}$$326 pb - 1 . A measurement of jet cross sections in the laboratory frame was made in a fiducial region corresponding to photon virtuality$$10 {\\,\\text {Ge}\\hspace{-0.66666pt}\\text {V}}^2< Q^2 < 350 {\\,\\text {Ge}\\hspace{-0.66666pt}\\text {V}}^2$$10 Ge V 2 < Q 2 < 350 Ge V 2 , inelasticity$$0.04< y < 0.7$$0.04 < y < 0.7 , outgoing lepton energy$$E_e > 10 {\\,\\text {Ge}\\hspace{-0.66666pt}\\text {V}}$$E e > 10 Ge V , lepton polar angle$$140^\\circ< \\theta _e < 180^\\circ $$140 ∘ < θ e < 180 ∘ , jet transverse momentum$$2.5 {\\,\\text {Ge}\\hspace{-0.66666pt}\\text {V}}< p_\\textrm{T,jet} < 30 {\\,\\text {Ge}\\hspace{-0.66666pt}\\text {V}}$$2.5 Ge V < p T,jet < 30 Ge V , and jet pseudorapidity$$-1.5< \\eta _\\textrm{jet} < 1.8$$- 1.5 < η jet < 1.8 . Jets were reconstructed using the$$k_\\textrm{T}$$k T algorithm with the radius parameter$$R = 1$$R = 1 . The leading jet in an event is defined as the jet that carries the highest$$p_\\textrm{T,jet}$$p T,jet . Differential cross sections,$$d\\sigma /d\\Delta \\phi $$d σ / d Δ ϕ , were measured as a function of the azimuthal correlation angle in various ranges of leading-jet transverse momentum, photon virtuality and jet multiplicity. Perturbative calculations at$$\\mathcal {O}(\\alpha _{s}^2)$$O ( α s 2 ) accuracy successfully describe the data within the fiducial region, although a lower level of agreement is observed near$$\\Delta \\phi \\rightarrow \\pi $$Δ ϕ → π for events with high jet multiplicity, due to limitations of the perturbative approach in describing soft phenomena in QCD. The data are equally well described by Monte Carlo predictions that supplement leading-order matrix elements with parton showering.

Rationale Variation in the rate at which drugs reach the brain influences many different drug effects and is also thought to influence liability to addiction. For example, rapid intravenous delivery of cocaine and nicotine is more effective in producing hedonic effects, tolerance, psychomotor sensitization, and in inducing gene expression. Smoking is thought to result in an especially rapid rate of rise of nicotine in the brain, but whether this is true has never been adequately addressed. Thus, in this study, we sought to determine the true rate of rise of smoked nicotine in human brain and compare this with previous intravenous nicotine delivery. Methods Positron emission tomography scans of lung and brain regions and arterial and venous blood curves were obtained in human subjects after single puffs from cigarettes formulated with [ 11 C]nicotine. Results The rise of nicotine concentration following a single puff was rapid, reaching more than 50% of maximum brain levels within 15 s of bolus arrival in the brain in most subjects. This rate of rise was considerably faster than that seen in previous studies using intravenous administration. Conclusions Uptake in human brain from a single inhalation was sufficiently rapid that it is plausible that fast rate-of-rise contributes to nicotine dependence in smokers.

A bstract Charm production in charged current deep inelastic scattering has been measured for the first time in e ± p collisions, using data collected with the ZEUS detector at HERA, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 358 pb −1 . Results are presented separately for e + p and e − p scattering at a centre-of-mass energy of s = 318 GeV within a kinematic phase-space region of 200 GeV 2 < Q 2 < 60000 GeV 2 and y < 0.9, where Q 2 is the squared four-momentum transfer and y is the inelasticity. The measured cross sections of electroweak charm production are consistent with expectations from the Standard Model within the large statistical uncertainties.

Background and purpose: Protein transduction domains (PTDs), such as Tat, antennapedia homeoprotein (Antp), Rev and VP22, have been extensively utilized for intracellular delivery of biologically active macromolecules in vitro and in vivo. There is little known, however, about the relative transduction efficacy, cytotoxicity and internalization mechanism of individual PTDs. Experimental approach: We examined the cargo delivery efficacies of four major PTDs (Tat, Antp, Rev and VP22) and evaluated their toxicities and cell internalizing pathways in various cell lines. Key results: The relative order of the transduction efficacy of these PTDs conjugated to fluorescein was Rev>Antp>Tat>VP22, independent of cell type (HeLa, HaCaT, A431, Jurkat, MOLT‐4 and HL60 cells). Antp produced significant toxicity in HeLa and Jurkat cells, and Rev produced significant toxicity in Jurkat cells. Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated that the uptake of PTD–fluorescein conjugate was dose‐dependently inhibited by methyl‐β‐cyclodextrin, cytochalasin D and amiloride, indicating that all four PTDs were internalized by the macropinocytotic pathway. Accordingly, in cells co‐treated with ‘Tat‐fused’ endosome‐disruptive HA2 peptides (HA2‐Tat) and independent PTD‐fluorescent protein conjugates, fluorescence spread throughout the cytosol, indicating that all four PTDs were internalized into the same vesicles as Tat. Conclusions and implications: These findings suggest that macropinocytosis‐dependent internalization is a crucial step in PTD‐mediated molecular transduction. From the viewpoint of developing effective and safe protein transduction technology, although Tat was the most versatile carrier among the peptides studied, PTDs should be selected based on their individual characteristics. British Journal of Pharmacology (2008) 153, 1143–1152; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0707678; published online 28 January 2008

Heat storage performance of an open thermochemical heat storage (TCHS) system using composite salt hydrates of Wakkanai siliceous shale (WSS) - 9.6 wt.% LiCl was investigated numerically. A two-dimensional model considering the combined heat and mass transfer was developed. The calculation results were validated by the experimental results obtained in our previous study. The inlet air temperature, inlet air relative humidity, humid air flow rate, the ratio of the thickness of air channel and the thickness of composite solid wall, and length of the TCHS unit were evaluated to evaluate the heat storage performance. When the ratio of the thickness of air channel and the thickness of composite solid wall is 5 and the length of the heat storage unit is 0.1 m, the volumetric heat storage density of the open TCHS system can reach 510 MJ/m 3 .