The Nature of the Chemical Process. 1. Symmetry Evolution - Revised Information Theory, Similarity Principle and Ugly Symmetry

Three laws of information theory have been proposed. Labeling by introducing nonsymmetry and formatting by introducing symmetry are defined. The function L (L=lnw, w is the number of microstates, or the sum of entropy and information, L=S+I) of the universe is a constant (the first law of information theory). The entropy S of the universe tends toward a maximum (the second law law of information theory). For a perfect symmetric static structure, the information is zero and the static entropy is the maximum (the third law law of information theory). Based on the Gibbs inequality and the second law of the revised information theory we have proved the similarity principle (a continuous higher similarity-higher entropy relation after the rejection of the Gibbs paradox) and proved the Curie-Rosen symmetry principle (a higher symmetry-higher stability relation) as a special case of the similarity principle. Some examples in chemical physics have been given. Spontaneous processes of all kinds of molecular interaction, phase separation and phase transition, including symmetry breaking and the densest molecular packing and crystallization, are all driven by information minimization or symmetry maximization. The evolution of the universe in general and evolution of life in particular can be quantitatively considered as a series of symmetry breaking processes. The two empirical rules - similarity rule and complementarity rule - have been given a theoretical foundation. All kinds of periodicity in space and time are symmetries and contribute to the stability. Symmetry is beautiful because it renders stability. However, symmetry is in principle ugly because it is associated with information loss.Comment: 29 pages, 14 figure

Patient specific training: development of a CT-based mixed reality fibreoptic intubation simulator

Fibreoptic intubation training has traditionally been performed using real fibreoptic scopes and manikins or improvised airway ‘boxes’, recently progressing to virtual reality training devices [1]. The latter are populated with computer generated images, represented 2 dimensionally on screens without depth perception and fail to reproduce the natural variation. We aimed to address these issues by producing a simulator that utilises a real patient’s anatomy, in a mixed reality platform, without the need for additional hardware

Macromolecular Rate Theory (MMRT) Provides a Thermodynamics Rationale to Underpin the Convergent Temperature Response in Plant Leaf Respiration

Temperature is a crucial factor in determining the rates of ecosystem processes, for example, leaf respiration (R) – the flux of plant respired CO₂ from leaves to the atmosphere. Generally, R increases exponentially with temperature and formulations such as the Arrhenius equation are widely used in earth system models. However, experimental observations have shown a consequential and consistent departure from an exponential increase in R. What are the principles that underlie these observed patterns? Here, we demonstrate that macromolecular rate theory (MMRT), based on transition state theory (TST) for enzyme-catalyzed kinetics, provides a thermodynamic explanation for the observed departure and the convergent temperature response of R using a global database. Three meaningful parameters emerge from MMRT analysis: the temperature at which the rate of respiration would theoretically reach a maximum (the optimum temperature, Tₒₚₜ), the temperature at which the respiration rate is most sensitive to changes in temperature (the inflection temperature, Tᵢₙf) and the overall curvature of the log(rate) versus temperature plot (the change in heat capacity for the system, ΔCǂₚ). On average, the highest potential enzyme-catalyzed rates of respiratory enzymes for R are predicted to occur at 67.0 ± 1.2°C and the maximum temperature sensitivity at 41.4 ± 0.7°C from MMRT. The average curvature (average negative ΔCǂₚ) was −1.2 ± 0.1 kJ mol⁻¹ K⁻¹. Interestingly, Topt, Tᵢₙf and ΔCǂₚ appear insignificantly different across biomes and plant functional types, suggesting that thermal response of respiratory enzymes in leaves could be conserved. The derived parameters from MMRT can serve as thermal traits for plant leaves that represent the collective temperature response of metabolic respiratory enzymes and could be useful to understand regulations of R under a warmer climate. MMRT extends the classic TST to enzyme-catalyzed reactions and provides an accurate and mechanistic model for the short-term temperature response of R around the globe

The experience of thalassemic adults with their treatment

This study, based on medical anthropology and oral reports, analyzes the meanings attributed by thalassemic adults to their experiences with the treatment. Interviews were used to collect data, which were analyzed through inductive thematic analysis. Eleven young adults, six of whom were men, at different ages, with different educational levels and occupations participated in the study. The meanings are discussed through the theme "the lives of patients with thalassemia in relation to their treatment". This core meaning highlights the difference made in their identity by having the disease trait, the recognition of the importance of adhering to their treatment, the difficulties in maintaining their social functions, the patients' irregular treatment adherence and their justifications for non-adherence to their treatment. Thalassemic patients conform to their condition and employ a normalization strategy to control the disease and justify irregular treatment adherence.El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar los sentidos dados por los talasémicos adultos a su experiencia con el tratamiento, con base en la antropología médica y en el método del relato oral. Para la recolección de datos usamos entrevistas y seguimos el análisis temático inductivo. Participaron once adultos jóvenes, seis del sexo masculino; con edades, niveles educacionales y profesiones, distintas. Los sentidos da la experiencia son presentados por el tema "La vida del portador de talasemia con el tratamiento". El tema destaca la identidad de ser diferente por: el trazo de la enfermedad, el reconocimiento de la importancia de la adhesión al tratamiento, las dificultades en mantener sus funciones sociales y los episodios de irregularidad en la terapia y sus justificaciones. Aprendimos que los portadores están resignados con su condición y emplean la estrategia de normalización para el control de la enfermedad y para justificar la irregularidad en el tratamiento.O objetivo neste estudo foi analisar os sentidos dados pelos talassêmicos adultos à sua experiência em relação ao tratamento, com base na antropologia médica e no método do relato oral. Para a coleta de dados, usaram-se entrevistas e seguiu-se a análise temática indutiva. Participaram onze adultos jovens, seis do sexo masculino; com idades, níveis educacionais e profissões distintas. Os sentidos são apresentados pelo tema "a vida do portador de talassemia com o tratamento". O tema destacou a identidade de diferença pelo traço da doença, o reconhecimento da importância da adesão ao tratamento, as dificuldades em manterem suas funções sociais, os episódios de irregularidade na terapia e suas justificativas. Apreendeu-se que os portadores estão resignados com sua condição, empregam a estratégia de normalização para o controle da doença e justificaram a irregularidade no tratamento

Exceptional serological and radiological response to sorafenib in 2 patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma and chronic hepatitis C viral infection:case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND: In patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the multikinase inhibitor sorafenib is the only systemic treatment that has been shown to increase overall survival. However, similar to other tyrosine kinase inhibitors, most patients achieve disease stabilisation radiologically, and only 2–3% of patients achieve a partial response. Recent exploratory subgroup analyses of the large phase 3 trials have demonstrated that patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection associated HCC survive longer than those who are negative for HCV. The mechanism underlying this currently remains unknown. A small number of cases of complete response to sorafenib treatment have now been reported worldwide, however a prolonged response has only been reported in 2 cases, both of whom had HCV-related HCC. CASE PRESENTATION: A 55 year old gentleman was diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma and concomitant chronic hepatitis C viral infection. He progressed following transarterial chemoemoblisation treatment and was commenced on sorafenib treatment. His serum alphafetoprotein level normalised within 2 months of treatment and he achieved an almost complete radiological response. This response was maintained for 20 months before the patient progressed. A 75 year old lady was diagnosed with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma and concomitant chronic hepatitis C viral infection. She was commenced on sorafenib treatment but required early dose reductions due to palmar plantar erythrodysesthesia, and liver decompensation. Despite this she achieved an excellent serological and radiological response that was maintained for 24 months. CONCLUSIONS: Our two cases show that patients with HCV-associated HCC can attain excellent responses to sorafenib treatment that is durable. Furthermore, such exceptional responses can be achieved even with dose reductions and treatment breaks

A scheme for determining vehicle routes based on Arc-based service network design

In freight transportation, less-than-truckload carriers often need to assign each vehicle a cyclic route so that drivers can come back home after a certain period of time. However, the Node-Arc model for service network design addresses decisions on each arc and does not determine routes directly, although the vehicle balancing constraint ensures that the number of outgoing vehicles equals the number of incoming vehicles at each node. How to transform the optimized service network into a set of vehicle routes remains an important problem that has not yet been studied. In this paper, we propose a three-phase scheme to address this problem. In the first stage, we present an algorithm based on the depth-first search to find all of the different cyclic routes in a service network design solution. In the second stage, we propose to prune poor cyclic routes using real-life constraints so that a collection of acceptable vehicle routes can be obtained before route assignment. Some of the pruning can also be done in the first stage to speed up the proposed algorithm. In the third stage, we formulate the problem of selecting a set of cyclic routes to cover the entire network as a weighted set covering problem. The resulting model is formulated as an integer program and solved with IBM ILOG CPLEX solver. Experimental results on benchmark instances for service network design indicate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme which gives high-quality solutions in an efficient way

Intraspecfic variation in cold-temperature metabolic phenotypes of Arabidopsis lyrata ssp petraea

Atmospheric temperature is a key factor in determining the distribution of a plant species. Alongside this, plant populations growing at the margin of their range may exhibit traits that indicate genetic differentiation and adaptation to their local abiotic environment. We investigated whether geographically separated marginal populations of Arabidopsis lyrata ssp. petraea have distinct metabolic phenotypes associated with exposure to cold temperatures. Seeds of A. petraea were obtained from populations along a latitudinal gradient, namely Wales, Sweden and Iceland and grown in a controlled cabinet environment. Mannose, glucose, fructose, sucrose and raffinose concentrations were different between cold treatments and populations, especially in the Welsh population, but polyhydric alcohol concentrations were not. The free amino acid compositions were population specific, with fold differences in most amino acids, especially in the Icelandic populations, with gross changes in amino acids, particularly those associated with glutamine metabolism. Metabolic fingerprints and profiles were obtained. Principal component analysis (PCA) of metabolite fingerprints revealed metabolic characteristic phenotypes for each population and temperature. It is suggested that amino acids and carbohydrates were responsible for discriminating populations within the PCA. Metabolite fingerprinting and profiling has proved to be sufficiently sensitive to identify metabolic differences between plant populations at different atmospheric temperatures. These findings show that there is significant natural variation in cold metabolism among populations of A. l. petraea which may signify plant adaptation to local climates

Maternal nicotine exposure leads to decreased cardiac protein disulfide isomerase and impaired mitochondrial function in male rat offspring.

Smoking throughout pregnancy can lead to complications during gestation, parturition and neonatal development. Thus, nicotine replacement therapies are a popular alternative thought to be safer than cigarettes. However, recent studies in rodents suggest that fetal and neonatal nicotine exposure alone results in cardiac dysfunction and high blood pressure. While it is well known that perinatal nicotine exposure causes increased congenital abnormalities, the mechanisms underlying longer-term deficits in cardiac function are not completely understood. Recently, our laboratory demonstrated that nicotine impairs placental protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) triggering an increase in endoplasmic reticulum stress, leading us to hypothesize that this may also occur in the heart. At 3 months of age, nicotine-exposed offspring had 45% decreased PDI levels in the absence of endoplasmic reticulum stress. Given the association of PDI and superoxide dismutase enzymes, we further observed that antioxidant superoxide dismutase-2 levels were reduced by 32% in these offspring concomitant with a 26-49% decrease in mitochondrial complex proteins (I, II, IV and V) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-4, a critical matrix metalloprotease for cardiac contractility and health. Collectively, this study suggests that perinatal nicotine exposure decreases PDI, which can promote oxidative damage and mitochondrial damage, associated with a premature decline in cardiac function

The GATA Transcription Factor Gaf1 Represses tRNAs, Inhibits Growth, and Extends Chronological Lifespan Downstream of Fission Yeast TORC1

Target of Rapamycin Complex 1 (TORC1) signaling promotes growth and aging. Inhibition of TORC1 leads to reduced protein translation, which promotes longevity. TORC1-dependent post-transcriptional regulation of protein translation has been well studied, while analogous transcriptional regulation is less understood. Here we screen fission yeast mutants for resistance to Torin1, which inhibits TORC1 and cell growth. Cells lacking the GATA factor Gaf1 (gaf1Δ) grow normally even in high doses of Torin1. The gaf1Δ mutation shortens the chronological lifespan of non-dividing cells and diminishes Torin1-mediated longevity. Expression profiling and genome-wide binding experiments show that upon TORC1 inhibition, Gaf1 directly upregulates genes for small-molecule metabolic pathways and indirectly represses genes for protein translation. Surprisingly, Gaf1 binds to and downregulates the tRNA genes, so it also functions as a transcription factor for RNA polymerase III. Thus, Gaf1 controls the transcription of both protein-coding and tRNA genes to inhibit translation and growth downstream of TORC1