Projected SO(5) Hamiltonian for Cuprates and Its Applications

The projected SO(5) (pSO(5)) Hamiltonian incorporates the quantum spin and superconducting fluctuations of underdoped cuprates in terms of four bosons moving on a coarse grained lattice. A simple mean field approximation can explain some key feautures of the experimental phase diagram: (i) The Mott transition between antiferromagnet and superconductor, (ii) The increase of T_c and superfluid stiffness with hole concentration x and (iii) The increase of antiferromagnetic resonance energy as sqrt{x-x_c} in the superconducting phase. We apply this theory to explain the ``two gaps'' problem found in underdoped cuprate Superconductor-Normal- Superconductor junctions. In particular we explain the sharp subgap Andreev peaks of the differential resistance, as signatures of the antiferromagnetic resonance (the magnon mass gap). A critical test of this theory is proposed. The tunneling charge, as measured by shot noise, should change by increments of Delta Q= 2e at the Andreev peaks, rather than by Delta Q=e as in conventional superconductors.Comment: 3 EPS figure

Phytochemicals as Potential Epidrugs in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Type 2 diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) prevalence has significantly increased worldwide in recent years due to population age, obesity, and modern sedentary lifestyles. The projections estimate that 439 million people will be diabetic in 2030. T2DM is characterized by an impaired ß-pancreatic cell function and insulin secretion, hyperglycemia and insulin resistance, and recently the epigenetic regulation of ß-pancreatic cells differentiation has been underlined as being involved. It is currently known that several bioactive molecules, widely abundant in plants used as food or infusions, have a key role in histone modification and DNA methylation, and constituted potential epidrugs candidates against T2DM. In this sense, in this review the epigenetic mechanisms involved in T2DM and protein targets are reviewed, with special focus in studies addressing the potential use of phytochemicals as epidrugs that prevent and/or control T2DM in vivo and in vitro. As main findings, and although some controversial results have been found, bioactive molecules with epigenetic regulatory function, appear to be a potential replacement/complementary therapy of pharmacological hypoglycemic drugs, with minimal side effects. Indeed, natural epidrugs have shown to prevent or delay the T2DM development and the morbidity associated to dysfunction of blood vessels, eyes and kidneys due to sustained hyperglycemia in T2DM patients.This work was supported by CONICYT PIA/APOYO CCTE AFB170007. NC-M acknowledges the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology under the Horizon 2020 Program (PTDC/PSI-GER/ 28076/2017)

Lasia spinosa Chemical Composition and Therapeutic Potential: A Literature-Based Review

Lasia spinosa (L.) is used ethnobotanically for the treatment of various diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation of the lungs, bleeding cough, hemorrhoids, intestinal diseases, stomach pain, and uterine cancer. This review is aimed at summarizing phytochemistry and pharmacological data with their molecular mechanisms of action. A search was performed in databases such as PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar using the keywords: "Lasia spinosa,"then combined with "ethnopharmacological use,""phytochemistry,"and "pharmacological activity."This updated review included studies with in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo experiments with compounds of known concentration and highlighted pharmacological mechanisms. The research results showed that L. spinosa contains many important nutritional and phytochemical components such as alkanes, aldehydes, alkaloids, carotenoids, flavonoids, fatty acids, ketones, lignans, phenolics, terpenoids, steroids, and volatile oil with excellent bioactivity. The importance of this review lies in the fact that scientific pharmacological evidence supports the fact that the plant has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, antidiarrheal, antihelminthic, antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic, and antinociceptive effects, while protecting the gastrointestinal system and reproductive. Regarding future toxicological and safety data, more research is needed, including studies on human subjects. In light of these data, L. spinosa can be considered a medicinal plant with effective bioactives for the adjuvant treatment of various diseases in humans.This work was supported by Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (CONICYT) PIA/APOYO CCTE AFB170007. N.C.-M. acknowledges the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology under the Horizon 2020 Program (PTDC/PSI-GER/28076/2017)

Outcomes of selective nonoperative management of civilian abdominal gunshot wounds: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background Although mandatory laparotomy has been standard of care for patients with abdominal gunshot wounds (GSWs) for decades, this approach is associated with non-therapeutic operations, morbidity, and long hospital stays. This systematic review and meta-analysis sought to summarize outcomes of selective nonoperative management (SNOM) of civilian abdominal GSWs. Methods We searched electronic databases (March 1966–April 1, 2017) and reference lists of articles included in the systematic review for studies reporting outcomes of SNOM of civilian abdominal GSWs. We meta-analyzed the associated risks of SNOM-related failure (defined as laparotomy during hospital admission), mortality, and morbidity across included studies using DerSimonian and Laird random-effects models. Between-study heterogeneity was assessed by calculating I2 statistics and conducting tests of homogeneity. Results Of 7155 citations identified, we included 41 studies [n = 22,847 patients with abdominal GSWs, of whom 6777 (29.7%) underwent SNOM]. The pooled risk of failure of SNOM in hemodynamically stable patients without a reduced level of consciousness or signs of peritonitis was 7.0% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 3.9–10.1%; I2 = 92.6%, homogeneity p  0.99). In patients who failed SNOM, the pooled estimate of the risk of therapeutic laparotomy was 68.0% (95% CI = 58.3–77.7%; I2 = 91.5%; homogeneity p < 0.001). Risks of failure of SNOM were lowest in studies that evaluated patients with right thoracoabdomen (3.4%; 95% CI = 0–7.0%; I2 = 0%; homogeneity p = 0.45), flank (7.0%; 95% CI = 3.9–10.1%), and back (3.1%; 95% CI = 0–6.5%) GSWs and highest in those that evaluated patients with anterior abdomen (13.2%; 95% CI = 6.3–20.1%) GSWs. In patients who underwent mandatory abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT), the pooled risk of failure was 4.1% versus 8.3% in those who underwent selective CT (p = 0.08). The overall sample-size-weighted mean hospital length of stay among patients who underwent SNOM was 6 days versus 10 days if they failed SNOM or developed an in-hospital complication. Conclusions SNOM of abdominal GSWs is safe when conducted in hemodynamically stable patients without a reduced level of consciousness or signs of peritonitis. Failure of SNOM may be lower in patients with GSWs to the back, flank, or right thoracoabdomen and be decreased by mandatory use of abdominopelvic CT scans

Analytic solutions to determine critical magnetic fields for thermoelectric magnetohydrodynamics in alloy solidification

During alloy solidification, it has been observed that the morphology of microstructures can be altered by applying an external DC magnetic field. This structural change can be attributed to solutal convective transport introduced by thermoelectric magnetohydrodynamics (TEMHD) which drives fluid motion within the inter-dendritic region. Complex numerical models with grid resolutions on the microscopic scale have been constructed to solve the equations governing TEMHD. To complement these computationally intensive numerical models, analytic solutions were sought. Specifically, the analytic solutions presented herein are asymptotic solutions derived for TEMHD under low and high magnetic field intensities. Combination of these asymptotic solutions leads to simple formulae for estimating critical magnetic fields which can be readily evaluated in terms of characteristic lengths of materials that have been identified in experiments as key parameters of critical fields. Indeed, the critical magnetic fields predicted with the asymptotic solutions exhibit magnitudes consistent with those applied in current ongoing experiments where significant changes in microstructure have been observed. The capability to predict accurate results indicates that the analytic solutions described herein are valuable precursors not only for detailed numerical simulations but also for experimental design to study critical magnetic fields in alloy solidification

A parallel cellular automata Lattice Boltzmann Method for convection-driven solidification

This article presents a novel coupling of numerical techniques that enable three-dimensional convection-driven microstructure simulations to be con- ducted on practical time scales appropriate for small-size components or experiments. On the microstructure side, the cellular automata method is efficient for relatively large-scale simulations, while the lattice Boltzmann method provides one of the fastest transient computational fluid dynamics solvers. Both of these methods have been parallelized and coupled in a single code, allowing resolution of large-scale convection-driven solidification problems. The numerical model is validated against benchmark cases, extended to capture solute plumes in directional solidification and finally used to model alloy solidification of an entire differentially heated cavity capturing both microstructural and meso-/macroscale phenomena

Ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is not a single disease and can be subdivided into at least five different histological subtypes that have different identifiable risk factors, cells of origin, molecular compositions, clinical features and treatments. Ovarian cancer is a global problem, is typically diagnosed at a late stage and has no effective screening strategy. Standard treatments for newly diagnosed cancer consist of cytoreductive surgery and platinum-based chemotherapy. In recurrent cancer, chemotherapy, anti-angiogenic agents and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors are used, and immunological therapies are currently being tested. High-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) is the most commonly diagnosed form of ovarian cancer and at diagnosis is typically very responsive to platinum-based chemotherapy. However, in addition to the other histologies, HGSCs frequently relapse and become increasingly resistant to chemotherapy. Consequently, understanding the mechanisms underlying platinum resistance and finding ways to overcome them are active areas of study in ovarian cancer. Substantial progress has been made in identifying genes that are associated with a high risk of ovarian cancer (such as BRCA1 and BRCA2), as well as a precursor lesion of HGSC called serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma, which holds promise for identifying individuals at high risk of developing the disease and for developing prevention strategies