295 research outputs found
Hidden scale invariance in the Gay-Berne model. II. Smectic B phase
This paper complements a previous study of the isotropic and nematic phases
of the Gay-Berne liquid-crystal model [Mehri et al., Phys. Rev. E 105, 064703
(2022)] with a study of its smectic B phase found at high density and low
temperatures. We find also in this phase strong correlations between the virial
and potential-energy thermal fluctuations, reflecting hidden scale invariance
and implying the existence of isomorphs. The predicted approximate isomorph
invariance of the physics is confirmed by simulations of the standard and
orientational radial distribution functions, the mean-square displacement as a
function of time, as well as the force, torque, velocity, angular velocity, and
orientational time-autocorrelation functions. The regions of the Gay-Berne
model that are relevant for liquid-crystal experiments can thus fully be
simplified via the isomorph theory
The interaction between MC4R gene variant (rs17782313) and dominant dietary patterns on depression in obese and overweight women: a cross sectional study
Nasal microbiome disruption and recovery after mupirocin treatment in Staphylococcus aureus carriers and noncarriers
Nasal decolonization procedures against the opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus aureus rely on topical antimicrobial drug usage, whose impact on the nasal microbiota is poorly understood. We examined this impact in healthy S. aureus carriers and noncarriers. This is a prospective interventional cohort study of 8 S. aureus carriers and 8 noncarriers treated with nasal mupirocin and chlorhexidine baths. Sequential nasal swabs were taken over 6 months. S. aureus was detected by quantitative culture and genotyped using spa typing. RNA-based 16S species-level metabarcoding was used to assess the living microbial diversity. The species Dolosigranulum pigrum, Moraxella nonliquefaciens and Corynebacterium propinquum correlated negatively with S. aureus carriage. Mupirocin treatment effectively eliminated S. aureus, D. pigrum and M. nonliquefaciens, but not corynebacteria. S. aureus recolonization in carriers occurred more rapidly than recolonization by the dominant species in noncarriers (median 3 vs. 6 months, respectively). Most recolonizing S. aureus isolates had the same spa type as the initial isolate. The impact of mupirocin-chlorhexidine treatment on the nasal microbiota was still detectable after 6 months. S. aureus recolonization predated microbiota recovery, emphasizing the strong adaptation of this pathogen to the nasal niche and the transient efficacy of the decolonization procedure
MCT1 in Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Monocarboxylate Metabolism and Aggressive Breast Cancer.
Introduction: Monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1) is an importer of monocarboxylates such as lactate and pyruvate and a marker of mitochondrial metabolism. MCT1 is highly expressed in a subgroup of cancer cells to allow for catabolite uptake from the tumor microenvironment to support mitochondrial metabolism. We studied the protein expression of MCT1 in a broad group of breast invasive ductal carcinoma specimens to determine its association with breast cancer subtypes and outcomes. Methods: MCT1 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry on tissue micro-arrays (TMA) obtained through our tumor bank. Two hundred and fifty-seven cases were analyzed: 180 cases were estrogen receptor and/or progesterone receptor positive (ER+ and/or PR+), 62 cases were human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive (HER2+), and 56 cases were triple negative breast cancers (TNBC). MCT1 expression was quantified by digital pathology with Aperio software. The intensity of the staining was measured on a continuous scale (0-black to 255-bright white) using a co-localization algorithm. Statistical analysis was performed using a linear mixed model. Results: High MCT1 expression was more commonly found in TNBC compared to ER+ and/or PR+ and compared to HER-2+ (p \u3c 0.001). Tumors with an in-situ component were less likely to stain strongly for MCT1 (p \u3c 0.05). High nuclear grade was associated with higher MCT1 staining (p \u3c 0.01). Higher T stage tumors were noted to have a higher expression of MCT1 (p \u3c 0.05). High MCT1 staining in cancer cells was associated with shorter progression free survival, increased risk of recurrence, and larger size independent of TNBC status (p \u3c 0.05). Conclusion: MCT1 expression, which is a marker of high catabolite uptake and mitochondrial metabolism, is associated with recurrence in breast invasive ductal carcinoma. MCT1 expression as quantified with digital image analysis may be useful as a prognostic biomarker and to design clinical trials using MCT1 inhibitors
FOXD3 Regulates VISTA Expression in Melanoma.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors have improved patient survival in melanoma, but the innate resistance of many patients necessitates the investigation of alternative immune targets. Many immune checkpoint proteins lack proper characterization, including V-domain Ig suppressor of T cell activation (VISTA). VISTA expression on immune cells can suppress T cell activity; however, few studies have investigated its expression and regulation in cancer cells. In this study, we observe that VISTA is expressed in melanoma patient samples and cell lines. Tumor cell-specific expression of VISTA promotes tumor onset in vivo, associated with increased intratumoral T regulatory cells, and enhanced PDL-1 expression on tumor-infiltrating macrophages. VISTA transcript levels are regulated by the stemness factor Forkhead box D3 (FOXD3). BRAF inhibition upregulates FOXD3 and reduces VISTA expression. Overall, this study demonstrates melanoma cell expression of VISTA and its regulation by FOXD3, contributing to the rationale for therapeutic strategies that combine targeted inhibitors with immune checkpoint blockade
Thalamic Ventral Intermediate Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation for Orthostatic Tremor
Background: Orthostatic tremor (OT) was first described in 1977. It is characterized by rapid tremor of 13–18 Hz and can be recorded in the lower limbs and trunk muscles. OT remains difficult to treat, although some success has been reported with deep brain stimulation (DBS).
Case Report: We report a 68-year-old male with OT who did not improve significantly after bilateral thalamic stimulation.
Discussion: Although some patients were described who improved after DBS surgery, more information is needed about the effect of these treatment modalities on OT, ideally in the form of randomized trial data
Application of Pseudo-Hermitian Quantum Mechanics to a Complex Scattering Potential with Point Interactions
We present a generalization of the perturbative construction of the metric
operator for non-Hermitian Hamiltonians with more than one perturbation
parameter. We use this method to study the non-Hermitian scattering
Hamiltonian: H=p^2/2m+\zeta_-\delta(x+a)+\zeta_+\delta(x-a), where \zeta_\pm
and a are respectively complex and real parameters and \delta(x) is the Dirac
delta function. For regions in the space of coupling constants \zeta_\pm where
H is quasi-Hermitian and there are no complex bound states or spectral
singularities, we construct a (positive-definite) metric operator \eta and the
corresponding equivalent Hermitian Hamiltonian h. \eta turns out to be a
(perturbatively) bounded operator for the cases that the imaginary part of the
coupling constants have opposite sign, \Im(\zeta_+) = -\Im(\zeta_-). This in
particular contains the PT-symmetric case: \zeta_+ = \zeta_-^*. We also
calculate the energy expectation values for certain Gaussian wave packets to
study the nonlocal nature of \rh or equivalently the non-Hermitian nature of
\rH. We show that these physical quantities are not directly sensitive to the
presence of PT-symmetry.Comment: 22 pages, 4 figure
The association between adherence to alternative healthy Diet Index (AHEI) and severity, disability, duration, and frequency of migraine headache among women:a cross-sectional study
Abstract Background Migraine is a common brain disorder characterized by recurrent seizures lasting between 4 and 72 h. Dietary factors can affect migraine headaches. The Alternative Healthy Diet Index (AHEI) is a measure of diet quality and adherence to healthy dietary patterns. This study aimed to assess the association of adherence to AHEI and severity, disability, duration, and frequency of migraine headaches. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 266 women who suffered from migraines were selected. Usual dietary intakes were assessed using a semi-quantitative, 147-item, food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). AHEI was calculated based on FFQ. The Migraine Disability Assessments (MIDAS) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) questionnaires were used to evaluate migraine disability, severity and the pain, duration and frequency of headaches. Results People with high adherence to AHEI, compared with low adherence, had a 43% reduction in headache duration in the crude model (OR = 0.57; 95% CI 0.34, 0.97; P = 0.03), which remained significant after adjusting for potential confounders (OR = 0.56; 95% CI 0.31, 0.99; P = 0.04). No association was found between the frequency of migraine and AHEI in both crude and adjusted models (OR = 1.19; 95% CI 0.66, 2.14; P = 0.55). In addition, no significant association was found between high adherence of AHEI and odds of severe and moderate headaches (P > 0.05). Conclusion The results of our study showed that people with high adherence of AHEI had a 43% reduction in duration of migraine. More studies are needed to evaluate and better understand this relationship
Diminished physical function in older HIV-infected adults in the Southeastern U.S. despite successful antiretroviral therapy
As antiretroviral therapy efficacy improves, HIV is gradually being recognized more as a chronic disease within the aging HIV-infected population. While these individuals are surviving into old age, they may, however, be experiencing “accelerated aging” with greater declines in physical function than that observed among comparably matched individuals free of HIV. This decline is not well understood and it remains unclear if physical decline correlates with the degree of immunosuppression based on CD4 lymphocyte nadir
An exactly solvable quantum-lattice model with a tunable degree of nonlocality
An array of N subsequent Laguerre polynomials is interpreted as an
eigenvector of a non-Hermitian tridiagonal Hamiltonian with real spectrum
or, better said, of an exactly solvable N-site-lattice cryptohermitian
Hamiltonian whose spectrum is known as equal to the set of zeros of the N-th
Laguerre polynomial. The two key problems (viz., the one of the ambiguity and
the one of the closed-form construction of all of the eligible inner products
which make Hermitian in the respective {\em ad hoc} Hilbert spaces) are
discussed. Then, for illustration, the first four simplest, parametric
definitions of inner products with and are explicitly
displayed. In mathematical terms these alternative inner products may be
perceived as alternative Hermitian conjugations of the initial N-plet of
Laguerre polynomials. In physical terms the parameter may be interpreted as
a measure of the "smearing of the lattice coordinates" in the model.Comment: 35 p
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