Systemic inflammation and residual viraemia in HIV-positive adults on protease inhibitor monotherapy: a cross-sectional study.

Increased levels of markers of systemic inflammation have been associated with serious non-AIDS events even in patients on fully suppressive antiretroviral therapy. We explored residual viremia and systemic inflammation markers in patients effectively treated with ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor monotherapy (PImono)

Transport enhancement from incoherent coupling between one-dimensional quantum conductors

We study the non-equilibrium transport properties of a highly anisotropic two-dimensional lattice of spin-1/2 particles governed by a Heisenberg XXZ Hamiltonian. The anisotropy of the lattice allows us to approximate the system at finite temperature as an array of incoherently coupled one-dimensional chains. We show that in the regime of strong intrachain interactions, the weak interchain coupling considerably boosts spin transport in the driven system. Interestingly, we show that this enhancement increases with the length of the chains, which is related to superdiffusive spin transport. We describe the mechanism behind this effect, compare it to a similar phenomenon in single chains induced by dephasing, and explain why the former is much stronger

Modelling diffusion of innovations in a social network

A new simple model of diffusion of innovations in a social network with upgrading costs is introduced. Agents are characterized by a single real variable, their technological level. According to local information agents decide whether to upgrade their level or not balancing their possible benefit with the upgrading cost. A critical point where technological avalanches display a power-law behavior is also found. This critical point is characterized by a macroscopic observable that turns out to optimize technological growth in the stationary state. Analytical results supporting our findings are found for the globally coupled case.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures. Final version accepted in PR

Magnetodielectric coupling of infrared phonons in single crystal Cu2_{2}OSeO3_{3}

Reflection and transmission as a function of temperature have been measured on a single crystal of the magnetoelectric ferrimagnetic compound Cu$_{2}$OSeO$_{3}$ utilizing light spanning the far infrared to the visible portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The complex dielectric function and optical properties were obtained via Kramers-Kronig analysis and by fits to a Drude-Lortentz model. The fits of the infrared phonons show a magnetodielectric effect near the transition temperature ($T_{c}\sim 60$~K). Assignments to strong far infrared phonon modes have been made, especially those exhibiting anomalous behavior around the transition temperature

Communication in networks with hierarchical branching

We present a simple model of communication in networks with hierarchical branching. We analyze the behavior of the model from the viewpoint of critical systems under different situations. For certain values of the parameters, a continuous phase transition between a sparse and a congested regime is observed and accurately described by an order parameter and the power spectra. At the critical point the behavior of the model is totally independent of the number of hierarchical levels. Also scaling properties are observed when the size of the system varies. The presence of noise in the communication is shown to break the transition. Despite the simplicity of the model, the analytical results are a useful guide to forecast the main features of real networks.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. Final version accepted in PR

Metastable anisotropy orientation of nematic quantum Hall fluids

We analyze the experimental observation of metastable anisotropy resistance orientation at half filled quantum Hall fluids by means of a model of a quantum nematic liquid in an explicit symmetry breaking potential. We interpret the observed ``rotation'' of the anisotropy axis as a process of nucleation of nematic domains and compute the nucleation rate within this model. By comparing with experiment, we are able to predict the critical radius of nematic bubbles, $R_c\sim 2.6 \mu m$. Each domain contains about $10^4$ electrons.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, final version as will appear in PR

Evaluation of Mandibular Asymmetry in Unilateral and Bilateral Posterior Crossbite Patients

Indexación: Web of Science; ScieloEl objetivo fue determinar la existencia de asimetría vertical mandibular, en pacientes con mordida cruzada posterior uni y bilateral, tanto en dentición mixta primera fase como en permanente completa. Se recolectaron radiografías panorámicas correspondientes a 121 pacientes con dentición mixta primera fase y permanente completa, 57 de los cuales, presentaba mordida cruzada unilateral, 21 mordida cruzada bilateral y 43 individuos con oclusión normal, que sirvieron como grupo control. En las radiografías, se cuantificaron medidas lineales de altura condilar, coronoidea, de rama, cóndilo-más-rama y la diferencia entre las alturas de cóndilo y coronoides. Además, se calcularon los índices de asimetría para cada una de dichas estructuras. Se determinó la existencia de diferencias significativas entre los grupos, mediante el cálculo de los test Mann-Whitney y Kruskal-Wallis, dada la distribución de las variables y un test de chi cuadrado para evaluar asociación entre las mismas, con un intervalo de confianza de 95% (p<,05). Existen diferencias significativas entre los índices de rama y de cóndilo-más-rama, entre el grupo control y el grupo con mordida cruzada unilateral (MCU), al igual que en el índice coronoideo, entre el grupo control y el grupo con mordida cruzada bilateral. El grupo con MCU, presentó un mayor porcentaje de pacientes con asimetría de cóndilo y rama, encontrándose una leve asociación entre la condición de mordida cruzada unilateral y la asimetría de dichas estructuras. Dados los resultados, se puede concluir que existe asimetría en el cóndilo, coronoides y en cóndilo-menos-coronoides y coronoides, tanto en pacientes con mordida cruzada uni como bilateral. Sin embargo, el grupo con MCU presenta un mayor porcentaje de pacientes con asimetría de cóndilo y rama, existiendo una leve asociación entre MCU y asimetría de dichas estructuras.SUMMARY: The aim was to evaluate the mandibular vertical asymmetry, in unilateral and bilateral posterior crossbite patients both in permanent and mixed dentition. One hundred twenty one panoramic radiographs were collected, 57 from patients with unilateral posterior crossbite, 21 patients with bilateral posterior crossbite and 43 with normal occlusion that were used as a control group. Subsequently, reference points and cephalometric traces were drawn manually by a calibrated examiner in order to register the condylar, coronoideal, and ramal heigths. This data was used to calculate an asymmetry index for each structure. According to the distribution of the variables, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the data between groups of patients and chi square was used to evaluate association between them, at the 95% confidence interval (p<.05). Statistically significant differences were found in the ramal and condylar-plus-ramal asymmetry index values, between the control and the unilateral posterior crossbite group, also statistical differences were found in the coronoideal index values, between the control and the bilateral posterior crossbite groups. On the other hand, the bilateral crossbite group, presented a higher percentage of patients with condylar and ramal asymmetry, finding a mild statistically significant association between this condition and those with asymmetry. Condylar and coronoideal asymmetry was found both in the unilateral as in the unilateral posterior crossbite patients. The bilateral crossbite group, presented a major percentage of patients with asymmetry, with a mild association between those conditions. KEY WORDS: Crossbite; Condylar asymmetry; Mandibular asymmetry; Orthopantomograph.http://ref.scielo.org/bzdg5

The Space Interferometry Mission Astrometric Grid Giant-Star Survey. I. Stellar Parameters and Radial Velocity Variability

We present results from a campaign of multiple epoch echelle spectroscopy of relatively faint (V = 9.5-13.5 mag) red giants observed as potential astrometric grid stars for the Space Interferometry Mission (SIM PlanetQuest). Data are analyzed for 775 stars selected from the Grid Giant Star Survey spanning a wide range of effective temperatures (Teff), gravities and metallicities. The spectra are used to determine these stellar parameters and to monitor radial velocity (RV) variability at the 100 m/s level. The degree of RV variation measured for 489 stars observed two or more times is explored as a function of the inferred stellar parameters. The percentage of radial velocity unstable stars is found to be very high -- about 2/3 of our sample. It is found that the fraction of RV-stable red giants (at the 100 m/s level) is higher among stars with Teff \sim 4500 K, corresponding to the calibration-independent range of infrared colors 0.59 < (J-K_s)_0 < 0.73. A higher percentage of RV-stable stars is found if the additional constraints of surface gravity and metallicity ranges 2.3< log g < 3.2 and -0.5 < [Fe/H] < -0.1, respectively, are applied. Selection of stars based on only photometric values of effective temperature (4300 K < Teff < 4700 K) is a simple and effective way to increase the fraction of RV-stable stars. The optimal selection of RV-stable stars, especially in the case when the Washington photometry is unavailable, can rely effectively on 2MASS colors constraint 0.59 < (J-K_s)_0 < 0.73. These results have important ramifications for the use of giant stars as astrometric references for the SIM PlanetQuest.Comment: Astronomical Journal, in press, 22 pages, 11 Postscript figures, uses aastex.cl

Characterization of Reticulate Networks Based on the Coalescent with Recombination

Phylogenetic networks aim to represent the evolutionary history of taxa. Within these, reticulate networks are explicitly able to accommodate evolutionary events like recombination, hybridization, or lateral gene transfer. Although several metrics exist to compare phylogenetic networks, they make several assumptions regarding the nature of the networks that are not likely to be fulfilled by the evolutionary process. In order to characterize the potential disagreement between the algorithms and the biology, we have used the coalescent with recombination to build the type of networks produced by reticulate evolution and classified them as regular, tree sibling, tree child, or galled trees. We show that, as expected, the complexity of these reticulate networks is a function of the population recombination rate. At small recombination rates, most of the networks produced are already more complex than regular or tree sibling networks, whereas with moderate and large recombination rates, no network fit into any of the standard classes. We conclude that new metrics still need to be devised in order to properly compare two phylogenetic networks that have arisen from reticulating evolutionary process