5,998 research outputs found
Phase diagram of two-component bosons on an optical lattice
We present a theoretical analysis of the phase diagram of two--component
bosons on an optical lattice. A new formalism is developed which treats the
effective spin interactions in the Mott and superfluid phases on the same
footing. Using the new approach we chart the phase boundaries of the broken
spin symmetry states up to the Mott to superfluid transition and beyond. Near
the transition point, the magnitude of spin exchange can be very large, which
facilitates the experimental realization of spin-ordered states. We find that
spin and quantum fluctuations have a dramatic effect on the transition making
it first order in extended regions of the phase diagram. For Mott states with
even occupation we find that the competition between effective Heisenberg
exchange and spin-dependent on--site interaction leads to an additional phase
transition from a Mott insulator with no broken symmetries into a spin-ordered
insulator
Regulators of G-Protein signaling RGS10 and RGS17 regulate chemoresistance in ovarian cancer cells
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A critical therapeutic challenge in epithelial ovarian carcinoma is the development of chemoresistance among tumor cells following exposure to first line chemotherapeutics. The molecular and genetic changes that drive the development of chemoresistance are unknown, and this lack of mechanistic insight is a major obstacle in preventing and predicting the occurrence of refractory disease. We have recently shown that Regulators of G-protein Signaling (RGS) proteins negatively regulate signaling by lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a growth factor elevated in malignant ascites fluid that triggers oncogenic growth and survival signaling in ovarian cancer cells. The goal of this study was to determine the role of RGS protein expression in ovarian cancer chemoresistance.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this study, we find that RGS2, RGS5, RGS10 and RGS17 transcripts are expressed at significantly lower levels in cells resistant to chemotherapy compared with parental, chemo-sensitive cells in gene expression datasets of multiple models of chemoresistance. Further, exposure of SKOV-3 cells to cytotoxic chemotherapy causes acute, persistent downregulation of RGS10 and RGS17 transcript expression. Direct inhibition of RGS10 or RGS17 expression using siRNA knock-down significantly reduces chemotherapy-induced cell toxicity. The effects of cisplatin, vincristine, and docetaxel are inhibited following RGS10 and RGS17 knock-down in cell viability assays and phosphatidyl serine externalization assays in SKOV-3 cells and MDR-HeyA8 cells. We further show that AKT activation is higher following RGS10 knock-down and RGS 10 and RGS17 overexpression blocked LPA mediated activation of AKT, suggesting that RGS proteins may blunt AKT survival pathways.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Taken together, our data suggest that chemotherapy exposure triggers loss of RGS10 and RGS17 expression in ovarian cancer cells, and that loss of expression contributes to the development of chemoresistance, possibly through amplification of endogenous AKT signals. Our results establish RGS10 and RGS17 as novel regulators of cell survival and chemoresistance in ovarian cancer cells and suggest that their reduced expression may be diagnostic of chemoresistance.</p
SO(4) Theory of Competition between Triplet Superconductivity and Antiferromagnetism in Bechgaard Salts
Motivated by recent experiments with Bechgaard salts, we investigate the
competition between antiferromagnetism and triplet superconductivity in quasi
one-dimensional electron systems. We unify the two orders in an SO(4) symmetric
framework, and demonstrate the existence of such symmetry in one-dimensional
Luttinger liquids. SO(4) symmetry, which strongly constrains the phase diagram,
can explain coexistence regions between antiferromagnetic, superconducting, and
normal phases, as observed in (TMTSF)PF. We predict a sharp neutron
scattering resonance in superconducting samples.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures; Added discussion of applicability of SO(4)
symmetry for strongly anisotropic Fermi liquids; Added reference
Superconducting charge-ordered states in cuprates
Motivated by recent neutron scattering and scanning tunneling microscopy
(STM) experiments on cuprate superconductors, we discuss charge-ordered states,
in particular with two-dimensional charge modulation patterns, co-existing with
superconductivity. We extend previous studies of a large-N mean-field
formulation of the t-J model. In addition to bond-centered superconducting
stripe states at low doping, we find checkerboard-modulated superconducting
states which are favorable in an intermediate doping interval. We also analyze
the energy dependence of the Fourier component of the local density of states
at the ordering wavevector for several possible modulation patterns, and
compare with STM results.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figs; (v2) extended discussion; final version as publishe
The changing nature of risk and risk management: the challenge of borders, uncertainty and resilience
No abstract available
Frustrated H-Induced Instability of Mo(110)
Using helium atom scattering Hulpke and L"udecke recently observed a giant
phonon anomaly for the hydrogen covered W(110) and Mo(110) surfaces. An
explanation which is able to account for this and other experiments is still
lacking. Below we present density-functional theory calculations of the atomic
and electronic structure of the clean and hydrogen-covered Mo(110) surfaces.
For the full adsorbate monolayer the calculations provide evidence for a strong
Fermi surface nesting instability. This explains the observed anomalies and
resolves the apparent inconsistencies of different experiments.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, submitted to PR
Mean Field Theory of Josephson Junction Arrays with Charge Frustration
Using the path integral approach, we provide an explicit derivation of the
equation for the phase boundary for quantum Josephson junction arrays with
offset charges and non-diagonal capacitance matrix. For the model with nearest
neighbor capacitance matrix and uniform offset charge , we determine,
in the low critical temperature expansion, the most relevant contributions to
the equation for the phase boundary. We explicitly construct the charge
distributions on the lattice corresponding to the lowest energies. We find a
reentrant behavior even with a short ranged interaction. A merit of the path
integral approach is that it allows to provide an elegant derivation of the
Ginzburg-Landau free energy for a general model with charge frustration and
non-diagonal capacitance matrix. The partition function factorizes as a product
of a topological term, depending only on a set of integers, and a
non-topological one, which is explicitly evaluated.Comment: LaTex, 24 pages, 8 figure
Effectiveness of physiotherapy exercise following hip arthroplasty for osteoarthritis: a systematic review of clinical trials
Background: Physiotherapy has long been a routine component of patient rehabilitation following hip joint replacement. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness of physiotherapy exercise after discharge from hospital on function, walking, range of motion, quality of life and muscle strength, for osteoarthritic patients following elective primary total hip arthroplasty.
Methods: Design: Systematic review, using the Cochrane Collaboration Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions and the Quorom Statement. Database searches: AMED, CINAHL, EMBASE, KingsFund, MEDLINE, Cochrane library (Cochrane reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, DARE), PEDro, The Department of Health National
Research Register. Handsearches: Physiotherapy, Physical Therapy, Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (Britain)
Conference Proceedings. No language restrictions were applied.
Selection: Trials comparing physiotherapy exercise versus usual/standard care, or comparing two types of relevant exercise physiotherapy, following discharge from hospital after elective primary total hip replacement for osteoarthritis were reviewed.
Outcomes: Functional activities of daily living, walking, quality of life, muscle strength and range of hip joint
motion. Trial quality was extensively evaluated. Narrative synthesis plus meta-analytic summaries were performed to summarise the data.
Results: 8 trials were identified. Trial quality was mixed. Generally poor trial quality, quantity and diversity prevented explanatory meta-analyses. The results were synthesised and meta-analytic summaries were used where possible to provide a formal summary of results. Results indicate that physiotherapy exercise after discharge following total hip replacement has the potential to benefit patients.
Conclusion: Insufficient evidence exists to establish the effectiveness of physiotherapy exercise following primary hip replacement for osteoarthritis. Further well designed trials are required to determine the value of post discharge exercise following this increasingly common surgical procedure
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