250 research outputs found
An indomethacin sensitive suppressor factor released by macrophages of leprosy patients
Reduction in Fc receptor expression as assayed by 'erythrocyte' rosetting of macrophage cultures from long term treated lepromatous leprosy patients (bactereologically negative) was seen in the presence of viable Mycobacterium leprae. Macrophages with and without intracellular bacilli demonstrated this reduction. On the basis of this observation the conditioned medium of Mycobacterium leprae infected macrophage cultures of lepromatous patients, were tested on macrophages from normal individuals for [3H]-leucine incorporation and antigen specific physical interaction with lymphocytes. Both these parameters showed decreased values as compared to the controls which were not exposed to this conditioned medium. Lymphocyte transformation to Mycobacterium leprae in leucocyte cultures of normal individuals was also reduced in the presence of the conditioned medium from lepromatous patients' macrophages. The indication that this factor may be a prostaglandin was suggested by the observation that its synthesis was inhibited by indomethacin. Its importance in the non-specific depression in cell-mediated immunity seen in lepromatous patients is discussed
Scanning Quantum Decoherence Microscopy
The use of qubits as sensitive magnetometers has been studied theoretically
and recent demonstrated experimentally. In this paper we propose a
generalisation of this concept, where a scanning two-state quantum system is
used to probe the subtle effects of decoherence (as well as its surrounding
electromagnetic environment). Mapping both the Hamiltonian and decoherence
properties of a qubit simultaneously, provides a unique image of the magnetic
(or electric) field properties at the nanoscale. The resulting images are
sensitive to the temporal as well as spatial variation in the fields created by
the sample. As an example we theoretically study two applications of this
technology; one from condensed matter physics, the other biophysics. The
individual components required to realise the simplest version of this device
(characterisation and measurement of qubits, nanoscale positioning) have
already been demonstrated experimentally.Comment: 11 pages, 5 low quality (but arXiv friendly) image
Topography and instability of monolayers near domain boundaries
We theoretically study the topography of a biphasic surfactant monolayer in
the vicinity of domain boundaries. The differing elastic properties of the two
phases generally lead to a nonflat topography of ``mesas'', where domains of
one phase are elevated with respect to the other phase. The mesas are steep but
low, having heights of up to 10 nm. As the monolayer is laterally compressed,
the mesas develop overhangs and eventually become unstable at a surface tension
of about K(dc)^2 (dc being the difference in spontaneous curvature and K a
bending modulus). In addition, the boundary is found to undergo a
topography-induced rippling instability upon compression, if its line tension
is smaller than about K(dc). The effect of diffuse boundaries on these features
and the topographic behavior near a critical point are also examined. We
discuss the relevance of our findings to several experimental observations
related to surfactant monolayers: (i) small topographic features recently found
near domain boundaries; (ii) folding behavior observed in mixed phospholipid
monolayers and model lung surfactants; (iii) roughening of domain boundaries
seen under lateral compression; (iv) the absence of biphasic structures in
tensionless surfactant films.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures, using RevTeX and epsf, submitted to Phys Rev
Surgical aortic valve replacement in the era of transcatheter aortic valve implantation: a review of the UK national database
Objectives To date the reported outcomes of surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) are mainly in the settings of trials comparing it with evolving transcatheter aortic valve implantation. We set out to examine characteristics and outcomes in people who underwent SAVR reflecting a national cohort and therefore โreal-worldโ practice.
Design Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data of consecutive people who underwent SAVR with or without coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery between April 2013 and March 2018 in the UK. This included elective, urgent and emergency operations. Participantsโ demographics, preoperative risk factors, operative data, in-hospital mortality, postoperative complications and effect of the addition of CABG to SAVR were analysed.
Setting 27 (90%) tertiary cardiac surgical centres in the UK submitted their data for analysis.
Participants 31โ277 people with AVR were identified. 19โ670 (62.9%) had only SAVR and 11โ607 (37.1%) had AVR+CABG.
Results In-hospital mortality for isolated SAVR was 1.9% (95% CI 1.6% to 2.1%) and was 2.4% for AVR+CABG. Mortality by age category for SAVR only were: 75 years=2.2%. For SAVR+CABG these were; 2.2%, 1.8% and 3.1%. For different categories of EuroSCORE, mortality for SAVR in low risk people was 1.3%, in intermediate risk 1% and for high risk 3.9%. 74.3% of the operations were elective, 24% urgent and 1.7% emergency/salvage. The incidences of resternotomy for bleeding and stroke were 3.9% and 1.1%, respectively. Multivariable analyses provided no evidence that concomitant CABG influenced outcome. However, urgency of the operation, poor ventricular function, higher EuroSCORE and longer cross clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass times adversely affected outcomes.
Conclusions Surgical SAVRยฑCABG has low mortality risk and a low level of complications in the UK in people of all ages and risk factors. These results should inform consideration of treatment options in people with aortic valve disease
Towards the development of a simulator for investigating the impact of people management practices on retail performance
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Studies on the antidiarrhoeal activity of Aegle marmelos unripe fruit: Validating its traditional usage
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Aegle marmelos </it>(L.) Correa has been widely used in indigenous systems of Indian medicine due to its various medicinal properties. However, despite its traditional usage as an anti-diarrhoeal there is limited information regarding its mode of action in infectious forms of diarrhoea. Hence, we evaluated the hot aqueous extract (decoction) of dried unripe fruit pulp of <it>A. marmelos </it>for its antimicrobial activity and effect on various aspects of pathogenicity of infectious diarrhoea.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The decoction was assessed for its antibacterial, antigiardial and antirotaviral activities. The effect of the decoction on adherence of enteropathogenic <it>Escherichia coli </it>and invasion of enteroinvasive <it>E. coli </it>and <it>Shigella flexneri </it>to HEp-2 cells were assessed as a measure of its effect on colonization. The effect of the decoction on production of <it>E. coli </it>heat labile toxin (LT) and cholera toxin (CT) and their binding to ganglioside monosialic acid receptor (GM1) were assessed by GM1-enzyme linked immuno sorbent assay whereas its effect on production and action of <it>E. coli </it>heat stable toxin (ST) was assessed by suckling mouse assay.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The decoction showed cidal activity against <it>Giardia </it>and rotavirus whereas viability of none of the six bacterial strains tested was affected. It significantly reduced bacterial adherence to and invasion of HEp-2 cells. The extract also affected production of CT and binding of both LT and CT to GM1. However, it had no effect on ST.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The decoction of the unripe fruit pulp of <it>A. marmelos</it>, despite having limited antimicrobial activity, affected the bacterial colonization to gut epithelium and production and action of certain enterotoxins. These observations suggest the varied possible modes of action of <it>A. marmelos </it>in infectious forms of diarrhoea thereby validating its mention in the ancient Indian texts and continued use by local communities for the treatment of diarrhoeal diseases.</p
Deaths in the Family
The purpose of this chapter is to evaluate the relative strengths of economic and social status in determining deaths in households in India. The first part of the chapter focuses on the โage at deathโ using National Sample Survey data for 2004 and 2014. The purpose was to ask whether after controlling for non-community factors, the fact that Indians belonged to different social groups, encapsulating different degrees of social status, exercised a significant influence on their age at death? The existence of a social group effect would suggest that there was a โsocial gradientโ to health outcomes in India. The second part of the chapter, using data from the Indian Human Development Survey of 2011, investigated the determinants of infant and child mortality. The overriding concern now is gender bias with girls more likely to die than boys before attaining their first (infant) and fifth (child) birthdays. As this study has shown, gender bias in infant and child mortality rates is, with singular exceptions, a feature of all the social groups. In conducting this investigation, the chapter addresses for India an issue which lies at the heart of social epidemiology: estimating the relative strengths of individual and social factors in determining mortality outcomes
Surgical aortic valve replacement in the era of transcatheter aortic valve implantation: a review of the UK national database.
OBJECTIVES: To date the reported outcomes of surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) are mainly in the settings of trials comparing it with evolving transcatheter aortic valve implantation. We set out to examine characteristics and outcomes in people who underwent SAVR reflecting a national cohort and therefore 'real-world' practice. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data of consecutive people who underwent SAVR with or without coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery between April 2013 and March 2018 in the UK. This included elective, urgent and emergency operations. Participants' demographics, preoperative risk factors, operative data, in-hospital mortality, postoperative complications and effect of the addition of CABG to SAVR were analysed. SETTING: 27 (90%) tertiary cardiac surgical centres in the UK submitted their data for analysis. PARTICIPANTS: 31โ277 people with AVR were identified. 19โ670 (62.9%) had only SAVR and 11โ607 (37.1%) had AVR+CABG. RESULTS: In-hospital mortality for isolated SAVR was 1.9% (95% CI 1.6% to 2.1%) and was 2.4% for AVR+CABG. Mortality by age category for SAVR only were: 75 years=2.2%. For SAVR+CABG these were; 2.2%, 1.8% and 3.1%. For different categories of EuroSCORE, mortality for SAVR in low risk people was 1.3%, in intermediate risk 1% and for high risk 3.9%. 74.3% of the operations were elective, 24% urgent and 1.7% emergency/salvage. The incidences of resternotomy for bleeding and stroke were 3.9% and 1.1%, respectively. Multivariable analyses provided no evidence that concomitant CABG influenced outcome. However, urgency of the operation, poor ventricular function, higher EuroSCORE and longer cross clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass times adversely affected outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical SAVRยฑCABG has low mortality risk and a low level of complications in the UK in people of all ages and risk factors. These results should inform consideration of treatment options in people with aortic valve disease
Stability of democracies:A complex systems perspective
The idea that democracy is under threat, after being largely dormant for at least 40 years, is looming increasingly large in public discourse. Complex systems theory offers a range of powerful new tools to analyse the stability of social institutions in general, and democracy in particular. What makes a democracy stable? And which processes potentially lead to instability of a democratic system? This paper offers a complex systems perspective on this question, informed by areas of the mathematical, natural, and social sciences. We explain the meaning of the term โstabilityโ in different disciplines and discuss how laws, rules, and regulations, but also norms, conventions, and expectations are decisive for the stability of a social institution such as democracy
A 3-D Finite Element Study of the Influence of Crown-Implant Ratio on Stress Distribution
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