310 research outputs found
On the quantum and classical scattering times due to charged dislocations in an impure electron gas
We derive the ratio of transport and single particle relaxation times in
three and two - dimensional electron gases due to scattering from charged
dislocations in semiconductors. The results are compared to the respective
relaxation times due to randomly placed charged impurities. We find that the
ratio is larger than the case of ionized impurity scattering in both three and
two-dimensional electron transport.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Derivatives of Mithramycin and Methods of Making and Uses Thereof
The invention, in one aspect, generally relates to mithramycin derivatives from mutated Streptomyces argillaceus and their production. The invention also relates using the derivatives for the treatment of various diseases. Finally, the invention relates to a mutated Streptomyces argillaceus useful in the production of the mithramycin derivatives
Effects of N-acetyl-seryl-asparyl-lysyl-proline on blood pressure, renal damage, and mortality in systemic lupus erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with a high prevalence of hypertension. NZBWF1 (SLE-Hyp) mice develop hypertension that can be prevented by modulating T cells. The peptide N-acetyl-seryl-aspartyl-lysyl-proline (Ac-SDKP) decreases renal damage and improves renal function in a model of SLE without hypertension (MRL/lpr). However, it is not known whether Ac-SDKP prevents hypertension in NZBWF1 mice. We hypothesized that in SLE-Hyp, Ac-SDKP prevents hypertension and renal damage by modulating T cells. Animals were divided into four groups: (1) control + vehicle, (2) control + Ac-SDKP, (3) SLE + vehicle, and (4) SLE + Ac-SDKP Systolic blood pressure (SBP), albuminuria, renal fibrosis, and T-cell phenotype were analyzed. SBP was higher in SLE compared to control mice and was not decreased by Ac-SDKP treatment. Half of SLE mice developed an acute and severe form of hypertension accompanied by albuminuria followed by death. Ac-SDKP delayed development of severe hypertension, albuminuria, and early mortality, but this delay did not reach statistical significance. Ac-SDKP prevented glomerulosclerosis, but not interstitial fibrosis in SLE-Hyp mice. SLE-Hyp mice showed a decrease in helper and cytotoxic T cells as well as an increase in double negative lymphocytes and T helper 17 cells, but these cells were unaffected by Ac-SDKP In conclusion, Ac-SDKP prevents kidney damage, without affecting blood pressure in an SLE animal model. However, during the acute relapse of SLE, Ac-SDKP might also delay the manifestation of an acute and severe form of hypertension leading to early mortality. Ac-SDKP is a potential tool to treat renal damage in SLE-Hyp mice
Lagrangian for the Majorana-Ahluwalia Construct
The equations describing self/anti-self charge conjugate states, recently
proposed by Ahluwalia, are re-written to covariant form. The corresponding
Lagrangian for the neutral particle theory is proposed. From a
group-theoretical viewpoint the construct is an example of the
Nigam-Foldy-Bargmann-Wightman-Wigner-type quantum field theory based on the
doubled representations of the extended Lorentz group. Relations with the
Sachs-Schwebel and Ziino-Barut concepts of relativistic quantum theory are
discussed.Comment: 10pp., REVTeX 3.0 fil
Extra Dirac Equations
This paper has rather a pedagogical meaning. Surprising symmetries in the
Lorentz group representation space are analyzed. The aim is
to draw reader's attention to the possibility of describing the particle world
on the ground of the Dirac "doubles". Several tune points of the variational
principle for this kind of equations are briefly discussed.Comment: REVTeX 3.0, 14p
Biotechnological model for ubiquitous mixed petroleum- and bio-based plastics degradation and upcycling into bacterial nanocellulose
Ubiquitous post-consumer plastic waste is often physically mixed combining recalcitrant petroleum-based plastics with bioplastics, forming (petro-bio)plastic streams. Finding appropriate end-of-life (EoL) strategies for mixed (petro-bio)plastic waste is highly pertinent in achieving environmental protection, sustainability for plastic value chain industries including recyclers and government policy makers worldwide. The presence of bioplastic mixed in with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or other petroleum-based plastic streams poses a substantial drawback to mechanical recycling and strongly impedes the development of sustainable EoL routes. Here, we present a model system for the sustainable management of mixed (petro-bio)plastic waste, demonstrating a biotechnological route through synergy-promoted enzymatic degradation of PETârepresenting petrochemical polyester plasticâmixed with thermoplastic starch (TPS)âas a model bioplastic. Leaf-branch compost cutinase (LCCICCG) and commercial amylase (AMY) deliver effective depolymerization of this mixed (petro-bio)plastic material, with subsequent bio-upcycling of the mixed waste stream into bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) by Komagataeibacter medellinensis. Compared to LCCICCG and AMY, the LCCICCG/AMY combined treatment synergistically produced a 2.6- and 4.4-fold increase in enzymatic decomposition at 70âŻÂ°C in four days, respectively, yielding sugars and terephthalic acid (TPA) as the main depolymerization building blocks. Bio-upcycling of post-enzymatic degradation hydrolysates resulted in a high BNC yield of 3âŻgâŻLâ1 after 10 days. This work paves the way for sustainable management routes for challenging mixed recalcitrant plastic and bioplastic waste and prepares opportunities for its participation in the circular production of sustainable eco-polymers
Improving Pleasure and Motivation in Schizophrenia: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.
Negative symptoms are frequent in patients with schizophrenia and are associated with marked impairments in social functioning. The efficacy of drug-based treatments and psychological interventions on primary negative symptoms remains limited. The Positive Emotions Programme for Schizophrenia (PEPS) is designed to improve pleasure and motivation in schizophrenia patients by targeting emotion regulation and cognitive skills relevant to apathy and anhedonia. The main hypothesis of this study is that patients who attend 8 one-hour sessions of PEPS and treatment as usual (TAU) will have lower total apathy-avolition and anhedonia-asociality composite scores on the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) than patients who attend only TAU.
Eighty participants diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were randomized to receive either TAU or PEPS + TAU. The participants were assessed by independent evaluators before randomization (T0), in a post-test after 8 weeks of treatment (T1) and at a 6-month follow-up (T2).
The post-test results and 6-month follow-up assessments according to an intention-to-treat analysis showed that the apathy and anhedonia composite scores on the SANS indicated statistically greater clinical improvements in PEPS participants than in non-PEPS participants. In the post-test, anhedonia but not apathy was significantly improved, thus favouring the PEPS condition. These results were sustained at the 6-month follow-up.
PEPS is an effective intervention to reduce anhedonia in schizophrenia. PEPS is a short, easy-to-use, group-based, freely available intervention that is easy to implement in a variety of environments (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02593058)
Novi steroidni derivati sintetizirani iz 3betha-hidroksiandrosten-17-ona
In this study, we synthesized some new substituted steroidal derivatives using 3betha-hydroxyandrosten-17-one (dehydroepiandrosterone) as starting material. The synthesized steroidal derivatives 1-11 were evaluated for their androgenic-anabolic activities compared to testosterone as positive control. Details of the synthesis, spectroscopic data and toxicity (LD50) of synthesized compounds are reported.U radu je opisana sinteza novih steroidnih derivata 1-11 koristeÄi 3betha-hidroksiandrosten-17-on (dehidroepiandrosteron) kao poÄetnu supstanciju. Androgeno-anaboliÄko djelovanje tih spojeva usporeÄivano je s djelovanjem testosterona kao pozitivnom kontrolom. Navode se detaljni sintetski postupci, spektroskopska karakterizacija i podaci o toksiÄnosti (LD50)
Efficacy and safety of lurbinectedin and doxorubicin in relapsed small cell lung cancer. Results from an expansion cohort of a phase I study
Background A phase I study found remarkable activity and manageable toxicity for doxorubicin (bolus) plus lurbinectedin (1-h intravenous [i.v.] infusion) on Day 1 every three weeks (q3wk) as second-line therapy in relapsed small cell lung cancer (SCLC). An expansion cohort further evaluated this combination. Patients and methods Twenty-eight patients with relapsed SCLC after no more than one line of cytotoxic-containing chemotherapy were treated: 18 (64%) with sensitive disease (chemotherapy-free interval [CTFI] â„90 days) and ten (36%) with resistant disease (CTFI <90 days; including six with refractory disease [CTFI â€30 days]). Results Ten patients showed confirmed response (overall response rate [ORR]â=â36%); median progression-free survival (PFS)â=â3.3 months; median overall survival (OS)â=â7.9 months. ORR was 50% in sensitive disease (median PFSâ=â5.7 months; median OSâ=â11.5 months) and 10% in resistant disease (median PFSâ=â1.3 months; median OSâ=â4.6 months). The main toxicity was transient and reversible myelosuppression. Treatment-related non-hematological events (fatigue, nausea, decreased appetite, vomiting, alopecia) were mostly mild or moderate. Conclusion Doxorubicin 40 mg/m(2) and lurbinectedin 2.0 mg/m(2) on Day 1 q3wk has shown noteworthy activity in relapsed SCLC and a manageable safety profile. The combination is being evaluated as second-line therapy for SCLC in an ongoing, randomized phase III trial. Clinical trial registration www.ClinicalTrials.gov code: NCT01970540. Date of registration: 22 October, 2013
- âŠ