Particle alignments and shape change in 66^{66}Ge and 68^{68}Ge

The structure of the $N \approx Z$ nuclei $^{66}$Ge and $^{68}$Ge is studied by the shell model on a spherical basis. The calculations with an extended $P+QQ$ Hamiltonian in the configuration space ($2p_{3/2}$, $1f_{5/2}$, $2p_{1/2}$, $1g_{9/2}$) succeed in reproducing experimental energy levels, moments of inertia and $Q$ moments in Ge isotopes. Using the reliable wave functions, this paper investigates particle alignments and nuclear shapes in $^{66}$Ge and $^{68}$Ge. It is shown that structural changes in the four sequences of the positive- and negative-parity yrast states with even $J$ and odd $J$ are caused by various types of particle alignments in the $g_{9/2}$ orbit. The nuclear shape is investigated by calculating spectroscopic $Q$ moments of the first and second $2^+$ states, and moreover the triaxiality is examined by the constrained Hatree-Fock method. The changes of the first band crossing and the nuclear deformation depending on the neutron number are discussed.Comment: 18 pages, 21 figures; submitted to Phys. Rev.

Dendritic cell quiescence during systemic inflammation driven by LPS stimulation of radioresistant cells in vivo

Dendritic cell (DC) activation is a prerequisite for T cell priming. During infection, activation can ensue from signaling via pattern-recognition receptors after contact with pathogens or infected cells. Alternatively, it has been proposed that DCs can be activated indirectly by signals produced by infected tissues. To address the contribution of tissue-derived signals, we measured DC activation in a model in which radioresistant cells can or cannot respond to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We report that recognition of LPS by the radioresistant compartment is sufficient to induce local and systemic inflammation characterized by high circulating levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α, interleukin (IL) 1β, IL-6, and CC chemokine ligand 2. However, this is not sufficient to activate DCs, whether measured by migration, gene expression, phenotypic, or functional criteria, or to render DC refractory to subsequent stimulation with CpG-containing DNA. Similarly, acute or chronic exposure to proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α ± interferon α/β has marginal effects on DC phenotype in vivo when compared with LPS. In addition, DC activation and migration induced by LPS is unimpaired when radioresistant cells cannot respond to the stimulus. Thus, inflammatory mediators originating from nonhematopoietic tissues and from radioresistant hematopoietic cells are neither sufficient nor required for DC activation in vivo

Nondegenerate Fermions in the Background of the Sphaleron Barrier

We consider level crossing in the background of the sphaleron barrier for nondegenerate fermions. The mass splitting within the fermion doublets allows only for an axially symmetric ansatz for the fermion fields. In the background of the sphaleron we solve the partial differential equations for the fermion functions. We find little angular dependence for our choice of ansatz. We therefore propose a good approximate ansatz with radial functions only. We generalize this approximate ansatz with radial functions only to fermions in the background of the sphaleron barrier and argue, that it is a good approximation there, too.Comment: LATEX, 20 pages, 11 figure

Facilitating integrated delivery of services across organisational boundaries: Essential enablers to integration

Introduction: Integrating services is a key tenet to developing services across the United Kingdom. While many aspects ofintegration have been explored, how to facilitate integration of services remains unclear.Method: An exploratory qualitative study was undertaken in 2015 to explore occupational therapists’ perceptions on integratingservice provision across health and social care organisational boundaries. The views of practitioners who had experiencedintegration were sought on a range of aspects of integrating services. This paper focuses on the facilitators for deliveringintegration and the essential enablers are identified.Findings: Numerous factors were noted to facilitate integration and three essential enablers were highlighted. Leadership,communication and joint education were recognised as playing a central role in integrating services across organisationalboundaries; without these three essential enablers, integration is liable to fail.Conclusion: Integration is a process rather than an event; continued emphasis will be required on leadership, communication andjoint education to progress integration achievements made to date

Microbial-Induced Heterogeneity in the Acoustic Properties of Porous Media

It is not known how biofilms affect seismic wave propagation in porous media. Such knowledge is critical for assessing the utility of seismic techniques for imaging biofilm development and their effects in field settings. Acoustic wave data were acquired over a two-dimensional region of a microbial-stimulated sand column and an unstimulated sand column. The acoustic signals from the unstimulated column were relatively uniform over the 2D scan region. The data from the microbial-stimulated column exhibited a high degree of spatial heterogeneity in the acoustic wave amplitude, with some regions exhibiting significant increases in attenuation while others exhibited decreases. Environmental scanning electron microscopy showed differences in the structure of the biofilm between regions of increased and decreased acoustic wave amplitude. We conclude from these observations that variations in microbial growth and biofilm structure cause heterogeneity in the elastic properties of porous media with implications for the validation of bioclogging models

Quality of care assessment for people with multimorbidity.

Multimorbidity, the simultaneous presence of multiple health conditions in an individual, is an increasingly common phenomenon globally. The systematic assessment of the quality of care delivered to people with multimorbidity will be key to informing the organization of services for meeting their complex needs. Yet, current assessments tend to focus on single conditions and do not capture the complex processes that are required for providing care for people with multimorbidity. We conducted a scoping review on quality of care and multimorbidity in selected databases in June 2018 and identified 87 documents as eligible for review, predominantly original research and reviews from North America, Europe and Australasia and mostly frequently related to primary care settings. We synthesized data qualitatively in terms of perceived challenges, evidence and proposed metrics. Findings reveal that the association between quality of care and multimorbidity is complex and depends on the conditions involved (quality appears to be higher for those with concordant conditions, and lower in the presence of discordant conditions) and the approach used for measuring quality (quality appears to be higher in people with multimorbidity when measured using condition/drug-specific process or intermediate outcome indicators, and worse when using patient-centred reports of experiences of care). People with discordant multimorbidity may be disadvantaged by current approaches to quality assessment, particularly when they are linked to financial incentives. A better understanding of models of care that best meet the needs of this group is needed for developing appropriate quality assessment frameworks. Capturing patient preferences and values and incorporate patients' voices in the form of patient-reported experiences and outcomes of care will be critical towards the achievement of high-performing health systems that are responsive to the needs of people with multimorbidity

LiFE Assessment Tool

As part of an ongoing study to construct a molecular Turing machine in which a polymer chain is encoded via allosteric information transfer between macrocyclic complexes, we describe the thermodynamic and kinetic characterization of a multicomponent self-assembled system based on a zinc porphyrin macrocyclic compound, a bidentate ligand (1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane, DABCO), and a viologen-substituted polymer guest. Initial addition of DABCO to the porphyrin macrocycle in chloroform solution leads to the formation of a stable 2:1 (porphyrin:DABCO) dimeric complex, even under dilute conditions, by means of strong cooperative interactions involving hydrogen and metal-ligand bonds. Further titration of the porphyrin-DABCO mixtures with the polymer gives rise to a complex array of species in the solution. The system is analyzed in detail by a combination of spectroscopic measurements and computational modeling. Each association constant in the binding scheme and the fraction of each individual complex that is formed in solution are determined precisely using a mass-balance model. Kinetic studies revealed that the rates of the polymer threading and dethreading in and out of the dimeric system are remarkably slow, indicating that the polymer is locked inside the cavity of the stable 2:1 dimeric complex as a result of strong allosteric interactions

Delineation of a unique protein-protein interaction site on the surface of the estrogen receptor

Recent studies have identified a series of estrogen receptor (ER)interacting peptides that recognize sites that are distinct from the classic coregulator recruitment (AF2) region. Here, we report the structural and functional characterization of an ER alpha-specific peptide that binds to the liganded receptor in an AF2-independent manner. The 2-angstrom crystal structure of the ER/peptide complex reveals a binding site that is centered on a shallow depression on the beta-hairpin face of the ligand-binding domain. The peptide binds in an unusual extended conformation and makes multiple contacts with the ligand-binding domain. The location and architecture of the binding site provides an insight into the peptide's ER subtype specificity and ligand interaction preferences. In vivo, an engineered coactivator containing the peptide motif is able to strongly enhance the transcriptional activity of liganded ER alpha, particularly in the presence of 4-hydroxytamoxifen. Furthermore, disruption of this binding surface alters ER's response to the coregulator TIF2. Together, these results indicate that this previously unknown interaction site represents a bona fide control surface involved in regulating receptor activity