Bifurcations of two coupled classical spin oscillators

Two classical, damped and driven spin oscillators with an isotropic exchange interaction are considered. They represent a nontrivial physical system whose equations of motion are shown to allow for an analytic treatment of local codimension 1 and 2 bifurcations. In addition, numerical results are presented which exhibit a Feigenbaum route to chaos.Comment: 16 pages, .dvi and postscrip

Symposium c Physica-Verlag

Abstract: This paper develops coordinates and layouts for graphs that represent statistics indexed by repetitive letter sequences. The need for such graphics arises in a variety of applications. The examples in this paper concern sequences of nucleotides, such as AGTGGC, and sequences of amino acids

Evidence of Female Sex Pheromones and Characterization of the Cuticular Lipids of Unfed, Adult Male Versus Female Blacklegged Ticks, Ixodes scapularis

Copulation in I. scapularis involves physical contact between the male and female (on or off the host), male mounting the female, insertion/maintenance of the male chelicerae in the female genital pore (initiates spermatophore production), and the transfer of the spermatophore by the male into the female genital pore. Bioassays determined that male mounting behavior/chelicerae insertion required direct contact with the female likely requiring non-volatile chemical cues with no evidence of a female volatile sex pheromone to attract males. Unfed virgin adult females and replete mated adult females elicited the highest rates of male chelicerae insertion with part fed virgin adult females exhibiting a much lower response. Whole body surface hexane extracts of unfed virgin adult females and males, separately analyzed by GC-MS, identified a number of novel tick surface associated compounds: fatty alcohols (1-hexadecanol and 1-heptanol), a fatty amide (erucylamid), aromatic hydrocarbons, a short chain alkene (1 heptane), and a carboxylic acid ester (5β-androstane). These compounds are discussed in terms of their potential role in female-male communication. The two most abundant fatty esters found were butyl palmitate and butyl stearate present in ratios that were sex specific. Only 6 n-saturated hydrocarbons were identified in I. scapularis ranging from 10-18 carbons

Nonlinear Scattering of a Bose-Einstein Condensate on a Rectangular Barrier

We consider the nonlinear scattering and transmission of an atom laser, or Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) on a finite rectangular potential barrier. The nonlinearity inherent in this problem leads to several new physical features beyond the well-known picture from single-particle quantum mechanics. We find numerical evidence for a denumerably infinite string of bifurcations in the transmission resonances as a function of nonlinearity and chemical potential, when the potential barrier is wide compared to the wavelength of oscillations in the condensate. Near the bifurcations, we observe extended regions of near-perfect resonance, in which the barrier is effectively invisible to the BEC. Unlike in the linear case, it is mainly the barrier width, not the height, that controls the transmission behavior. We show that the potential barrier can be used to create and localize a dark soliton or dark soliton train from a phonon-like standing wave.Comment: 15 pages, 15 figures, new version includes clarification of definition of transmission coefficient in general nonlinear vs. linear cas

One year survival with poorly differentiated metastatic pancreatic carcinoma following chemoembolization with gemcitabine and cisplatin.

While hepatic arterial chemoembolization is efficacious for a number of malignancies, there is scant data regarding treatment of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. We report a complete radiographic response at one year from diagnosis of metastatic pancreatic carcinoma. Gemcitabine/cisplatin based chemoembolization may be of potential benefit for patients with liver-dominant metastases from pancreatic carcinoma. Given the typical survival of 6 months or less in this patient group with standard therapies, further research is warranted

Implementing a Paradigm Shift: Incorporating Pain Management Competencies into Pre-Licensure Curricula

Objective The purpose of this article is 1) to present the historical context and rationale for competency-based pain management education; and 2) to suggest learning tools that faculty might apply into their teachings and their institutions\u27 pre-licensure curricula for promoting conceptual learning based on competency-based pain management education. Design Based on the well-documented need to improve the competency of health care professionals in pain assessment and management, an interprofessional group of health care providers collaborated and then convened in August 2012 to develop core competencies for pain management for the pre-licensure programs of study across health care disciplines. This interprofessional group of pain educators achieved consensus on a common set of pain-related competencies intended to be implemented across a variety of pre-licensure professional programs. Setting A group of the interprofessional faculty, who participated in the development of the core competencies for pain management, provides a follow-up of how to implement learning tools within teaching and curricula, based on competency education in pre-licensure health care. Results Broad questions about how to incorporate competencies into pre-licensure curricula, for all health provider pre-licensure programs, including how to assess competency across individuals and how to teach in ways that emphasize the demonstration of conceptual learning, remain unanswered. This article reviews how the use of competencies creates historical context for a shift from teaching to learning and concludes with suggestions and exemplars in applying core competencies for pain management in pre-licensure programs

Platelet-derived growth factor D expression in adrenal cells is modulated by corticosteroids: putative role in adrenal suppression

BACKGROUND: Adrenal suppression is a clinically concerning side effect of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) treatment in patients with asthma. Increased susceptibility to ICS-induced adrenal suppression has previously been identified in those with the rs591118 polymorphism in platelet-derived growth factor D (PDGFD). The mechanism underpinning this relationship is not known. METHODS: H295R cells were genotyped for rs591118 using a validated Taqman PCR allelic discrimination assay. H295R cell viability was determined after treatment with beclometasone and fluticasone (range 0–330 μM). Cortisol was measured in cell culture medium using competitive enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: PDGFD protein expression in H295R cells was confirmed using Western blotting. When ACTH and forskolin were added to H295R cells, a reduction in PDGFD expression was seen, which was then restored by incubation with prochloraz, a known inhibitor of steroidogenesis. A dose-dependent, decrease in PDGFD expression was observed with beclometasone (over a 24 h incubation period) but not with beclometasone incubations beyond 24 h nor with fluticasone (at 24 or 48 h). CONCLUSIONS: H295R cells express PDGFD protein, which can be modulated by incubation with steroidogenesis agonists and antagonists and additionally with exogenous beclometasone. IMPACT: PDGFD is expressed in the human adrenal cell line, H295R, and expression can be modulated by beclometasone as well as agonists/antagonists of steroidogenesis. This builds on previous research that identified a SNP in PDGFD (rs591118) as an independent risk factor for adrenal suppression in adults and children with obstructive airway disease treated with inhaled corticosteroids. First in vitro experiments to support a link between the PDGF and cortisol production pathways, supporting the hypothesis that PDGFD variants can affect an individual’s sensitivity to corticosteroid-induced adrenal suppression

Core competencies for pain management: results of an interprofessional consensus summit.

ObjectiveThe objective of this project was to develop core competencies in pain assessment and management for prelicensure health professional education. Such core pain competencies common to all prelicensure health professionals have not been previously reported.MethodsAn interprofessional executive committee led a consensus-building process to develop the core competencies. An in-depth literature review was conducted followed by engagement of an interprofessional Competency Advisory Committee to critique competencies through an iterative process. A 2-day summit was held so that consensus could be reached.ResultsThe consensus-derived competencies were categorized within four domains: multidimensional nature of pain, pain assessment and measurement, management of pain, and context of pain management. These domains address the fundamental concepts and complexity of pain; how pain is observed and assessed; collaborative approaches to treatment options; and application of competencies across the life span in the context of various settings, populations, and care team models. A set of values and guiding principles are embedded within each domain.ConclusionsThese competencies can serve as a foundation for developing, defining, and revising curricula and as a resource for the creation of learning activities across health professions designed to advance care that effectively responds to pain

Use of bisulfite processing to generate high-β-O-4 content water-soluble lignosulfonates

This work was supported by EPSRC grants (EP/1518175), the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) (DMB Ph.D. studentship) and an EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellowship (CSL).With lignin-first biorefineries likely to become a reality, controlled depolymerization of high-quality lignin streams to high value products has become a priority. Using bisulfite chemistry, access to a high-β-O-4 content water-soluble lignosulfonate has been achieved, allowing follow-on procedures in water to be conducted. We show that phenolic β-O-4 units preferential-ly react under acidic bisulfite conditions, whilst non-phenolic β-O-4 units react much more slowly. Exploiting this improved chemical understanding and inherent selectivity, a softwood lignosulfonate has been prepared in which phenolic β-O-4 α-sulfonation has occurred leaving significant native β-O-4 content. Use of an O-benzoylation protocol with lignin coupled with advanced 2D NMR methods has allowed detailed analysis of this and other commercial and industrial lignosulfonates. Conversion of the native β-O-4 to benzylic- oxidized β-O-4 units was followed by a selective reductive cleavage to give a premium aromatic monomer in pure form.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe