Health-related quality of life, adiposity, and sedentary behavior in patients with early schizophrenia: Preliminary study

Objective: To examine adiposity and sedentary behavior in relation to health-related quality of life (QoL) in patients with early schizophrenia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was used to assess adiposity by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans, habitual physical activity and idle sitting time by the Short Form International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and health-related QoL by the RAND Medical Outcomes Study SF-36. QoL scores were compared with age-adjusted Canadian normative population data. Results: There were 36 participants with early schizophrenia, average age 25.1 (±3.6). Twenty-nine (72.5%) were males. Mean illness duration was 30 (±18) months, and mean body mass index was 28.3 (±5). Females had higher body fat content than males (30.8±6.9 vs 24.7±10.6; t=-2.6, df=34; P=0.015). Total body fat (F=14; P=0.001), lean body mass (F=10.2; P=0.001), and sedentary behavior (F=5; P=0.013) significantly increased across body mass index categories. Total body fat was correlated with sedentary behavior (r=0.62; P=0.001), and total lean body mass was negatively correlated with sedentary behavior (r=0.39; P=0.03). Based on SF-36scores, participants had significantly lower physical functioning (P=0.0034), role physical (P=0.0003), general health (P,0.0001), vitality (P=0.03), and physical component scores (P=0.003) than Canadian population comparisons. Habitual sedentary behavior, more than activity or adiposity levels, was associated with health-related QoL in early schizophrenia. Conclusion: Health-related QoL is lower in early schizophrenia and is predominantly experienced in the physical domain. QoL in early schizophrenia relates to sedentary behavior more than to activity and adiposity levels. © 2012 Strassnig etal, publisher and licensee Dove Medical Press Ltd

New shield for gamma-ray spectrometry

Gamma-ray shield that can be evacuated, refilled with a clean gas, and pressurized for exclusion of airborne radioactive contaminants effectively lowers background noise. Under working conditions, repeated evacuation and filling procedures have not adversely affected the sensitivity and resolution of the crystal detector

Effect of different potato varieties and tuber sizes on physiological changes under ambient storage performance

The storability and sprouting behavior of three grades (small, medium and large tubers) from four Indian potato cultivars was studied under ambient conditions to assess the quality changes due to physiological losses and sprouting bhaviour of potato tubers. It was found that physiological loss in weight (%), decay loss on number and weight basis (%), sprout loss on number and weight basis (%), total loss (%), general appearance, presence of black or hollow heart were affected significantly by the different varieties as well as by the size. The loss in weight of tubers due to physiological activities, decaying and sprouting increased with the increased in storage period and the loss was more in larger than smaller and medium tubers. Kufri Badshah showed the best control over sprouting, whereas, 100% sprouting was observed in Kufri Bahar with all possible combinations during storage. The maximum value for cumulative physiological loss in weight was observed in variety Kufri Bahar (12.07%), whereas, minimum was in Kufri Pushkar (7.44%). The maximum decay loss was observed in variety Kufri Pushkar (7.89 and 8.72%) and minimum in Kufri Bahar (0.00 and 4.58%) on 80th and 90th day of storage period. Black or hollow heart was absent completely in all the possible treatments. So far general appearance of the tubers was concerned, the larger tubers shrivelled more and earlier than the medium and small sized tubers. Different varieties behaved differently during the entire storage period

InAs-AlSb quantum wells in tilted magnetic fields

InAs-AlSb quantum wells are investigated by transport experiments in magnetic fields tilted with respect to the sample normal. Using the coincidence method we find for magnetic fields up to 28 T that the spin splitting can be as large as 5 times the Landau splitting. We find a value of the g-factor of about 13. For small even-integer filling factors the corresponding minima in the Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations cannot be tuned into maxima for arbitrary tilt angles. This indicates the anti-crossing of neighboring Landau and spin levels. Furthermore we find for particular tilt angles a crossover from even-integer dominated Shubnikov-de Haas minima to odd-integer minima as a function of magnetic field

Deep sequencing of PRRSV isolates: rapid and large-scale characterization of viral genomes

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is a single stranded, positive sense RNA virus with a genome size of approximately 15 kb. Much of the genetic characterization or viral genotyping of PRRSV isolates is limited to one or two viral genes only (ORF5 and/or ORF7) for a number of reasons, for example: (1) characterizing one or two ORFs is sufficient for diagnostics; (2) genome characterization is laborious because traditional (Sanger) sequencing yields only a single sequence of 800-1000 bases per reaction; (3) large-scale genome characterization is time-consuming and costly. Collectively, this hinders the study of PRRSV genomic evolution at different levels (host, regional, and global). We demonstrate here the use of 454 technology to rapidly sequence PRRSV genomic nucleic acid from different sources (cell culture and swine tissue), genotypes (type 1 and type 2), and genome structure (non-deletion vs. deletion variants). Samples (n=16) were multiplexed to bring down cost per genome sequence. Assembly of sample specific reads resulted in a single contig in almost all instances (15 out of 16). Average genome coverage was 96.7% with reference to prototype isolates (Lelystad virus for type 1 and ATCC VR2332 for type 2). Average sequence depth was 405 reads per nucleotide position. This high sequence depth allowed characterization of variants from quasispecies that occurred at frequencies even lower than 1%. In summary, next generation sequencing technology offers unparalleled opportunity to quickly and efficiently characterize near complete length PRRSV genomes in an economical manner. This allows experiments to be designed with considerations to viral genomic evolution rather than those with limited insights from select viral genes only.postprin

Effect of Thidiazuron and Benzylaminopurine on In Vitro Shoot Proliferation of Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.)

Carnations (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) are among the most widely used cut flowers in the world. Tissue culture techniques offer an efficient method for the micropropagation of carnations. This study was conducted to test the effect of thidiazuron (TDZ) and benzylaminopurine (BAP), artificial cytokinins, on shoot multiplication of two carnation cultivars, Barlo II Nora and Raggio di Sole. Isolated axillary buds were cultured on Gamborg\u27s (B-5) basal medium supplemented with 30 g/L sucrose and 8 g/L agar. The cultures were maintained at a 10-h photoperiod (40 (mu-Em2s-1) and 23°C±2C°. Number of multiple shoots produced was dependent upon the genotype and was also influenced by the cytokinin type and concentration. Barlo II Nora produced the highest shoot number with 14 shoots per explant on a medium containing 20 mg/L BAP. The cultivar Raggio di Sole cultured on BAP-containing media produced a maximum of 4 shoots per explant. Barlo II Nora cultured on TDZ-containing media produced a maximum of 8 shoots per explant, however, large amounts of calli were associated with these shoots. Increasing the concentration of cytokinin was associated with an increase in shoot number and a decrease inshoot height. Shoots were rooted on Gamborg\u27s medium containing 2 mg/L of 3-indole-butyric acid (IBA) and then transferred to pots. Once acclimatized the carnations were transferred to a greenhouse where they exhibited normal growth. This method could be useful for the rapid propagation of carnations in commercial production

Experimental Demonstration of >230{\deg} Phase Modulation in Gate-Tunable Graphene-Gold Reconfigurable Mid-Infrared Metasurfaces

Metasurfaces offer significant potential to control far-field light propagation through the engineering of amplitude, polarization, and phase at an interface. We report here phase modulation of an electronically reconfigurable metasurface and demonstrate its utility for mid-infrared beam steering. Using a gate-tunable graphene-gold resonator geometry, we demonstrate highly tunable reflected phase at multiple wavelengths and show up to 237{\deg} phase modulation range at an operating wavelength of 8.50 {\mu}m. We observe a smooth monotonic modulation of phase with applied voltage from 0{\deg} to 206{\deg} at a wavelength of 8.70 {\mu}m. Based on these experimental data, we demonstrate with antenna array calculations an average beam steering efficiency of 50% for reflected light for angles up to 30{\deg}, relative to an ideal metasurface, confirming the suitability of this geometry for reconfigurable mid-infrared beam steering devices

Local density of states and scanning tunneling currents in graphene

We present exact analytical calculations of scanning tunneling currents in locally disordered graphene using a multimode description of the microscope tip. Analytical expressions for the local density of states (LDOS) are given for energies beyond the Dirac cone approximation. We show that the LDOS at the $A$ and $B$ sublattices of graphene are out of phase by $\pi$ implying that the averaged LDOS, as one moves away from the impurity, shows no trace of the $2q_F$ (with $q_F$ the Fermi momentum) Friedel modulation. This means that a STM experiment lacking atomic resolution at the sublattice level will not be able of detecting the presence of the Friedel oscillations [this seems to be the case in the experiments reported in Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 101}, 206802 (2008)]. The momentum maps of the LDOS for different types of impurities are given. In the case of the vacancy, $2q_F$ features are seen in these maps. In all momentum space maps, $K$ and $K+K^\prime$ features are seen. The $K+K^\prime$ features are different from what is seen around zero momentum. An interpretation for these features is given. The calculations reported here are valid for chemical substitution impurities, such as boron and nitrogen atoms, as well as for vacancies. It is shown that the density of states close to the impurity is very sensitive to type of disorder: diagonal, non-diagonal, or vacancies. In the case of weakly coupled (to the carbon atoms) impurities, the local density of states presents strong resonances at finite energies, which leads to steps in the scanning tunneling currents and to suppression of the Fano factor.Comment: 21 pages. Figures 6 and 7 are correctly displayed in this new versio

The helicase Ded1p controls use of near-cognate translation initiation codons in 5' UTRs.

The conserved and essential DEAD-box RNA helicase Ded1p from yeast and its mammalian orthologue DDX3 are critical for the initiation of translation1. Mutations in DDX3 are linked to tumorigenesis2-4 and intellectual disability5, and the enzyme is targeted by a range of viruses6. How Ded1p and its orthologues engage RNAs during the initiation of translation is unknown. Here we show, by integrating transcriptome-wide analyses of translation, RNA structure and Ded1p-RNA binding, that the effects of Ded1p on the initiation of translation are connected to near-cognate initiation codons in 5' untranslated regions. Ded1p associates with the translation pre-initiation complex at the mRNA entry channel and repressing the activity of Ded1p leads to the accumulation of RNA structure in 5' untranslated regions, the initiation of translation from near-cognate start codons immediately upstream of these structures and decreased protein synthesis from the corresponding main open reading frames. The data reveal a program for the regulation of translation that links Ded1p, the activation of near-cognate start codons and mRNA structure. This program has a role in meiosis, in which a marked decrease in the levels of Ded1p is accompanied by the activation of the alternative translation initiation sites that are seen when the activity of Ded1p is repressed. Our observations indicate that Ded1p affects translation initiation by controlling the use of near-cognate initiation codons that are proximal to mRNA structure in 5' untranslated regions

Metabolism of ticagrelor in patients with acute coronary syndromes.

© The Author(s) 2018Ticagrelor is a state-of-the-art antiplatelet agent used for the treatment of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Unlike remaining oral P2Y12 receptor inhibitors ticagrelor does not require metabolic activation to exert its antiplatelet action. Still, ticagrelor is extensively metabolized by hepatic CYP3A enzymes, and AR-C124910XX is its only active metabolite. A post hoc analysis of patient-level (n = 117) pharmacokinetic data pooled from two prospective studies was performed to identify clinical characteristics affecting the degree of AR-C124910XX formation during the first six hours after 180 mg ticagrelor loading dose in the setting of ACS. Both linear and multiple regression analyses indicated that ACS patients presenting with ST-elevation myocardial infarction or suffering from diabetes mellitus are more likely to have decreased rate of ticagrelor metabolism during the acute phase of ACS. Administration of morphine during ACS was found to negatively influence transformation of ticagrelor into AR-C124910XX when assessed with linear regression analysis, but not with multiple regression analysis. On the other hand, smoking appears to increase the degree of ticagrelor transformation in ACS patients. Mechanisms underlying our findings and their clinical significance warrant further research.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio