1,083 research outputs found
Three-Dimensional Seismic Imaging of Ancient Submarine Lava Flows : An Example From the Southern Australian Margin
This work comprises a part of the Great Australian Bight Deepwater Marine Program (GABDMP) for funding this project. The GABDMP is a CSIRO research program, sponsored by Chevron Australia the results of which will be made publicly available. 3D seismic data was gratefully provided by TGS. IHS are thanked for access to seismic interpretation software. Spectral decomposition was carried out using Foster-Findlay Associates Geoteric Software. Sverre Planke and Tracy Gregg are thanked for constructive reviews.Peer reviewedPublisher PD
Absorption, Pharmacokinetics, and Urinary Excretion of Pyridines After Consumption of Coffee and Cocoa-Based Products Containing Coffee in a Repeated Dose, Crossover Human Intervention Study
Scope: The present study assesses the absorption, pharmacokinetics, and urinary excretion of coffee pyridines and their metabolites after daily regular exposure to specific dosages of coffee or cocoa-based products containing coffee (CBPCC), considering different patterns of consumption. Methods and results: In a three-arm, crossover, randomized trial, 21 volunteers are requested to randomly consume for 1 month: one cup of espresso coffee per day, three cups of espresso coffee per day, or one cup of espresso coffee plus two CBPCC twice per day. The last day of the one-month treatment, blood and urine samples are collected for 24 h. Trigonelline, N-methylpyridinium, N-methylnicotinamide, and N-methyl-4-pyridone-5-carboxamide are quantified. Trigonelline and N-methylpyridinium absorption curves and 24-h urinary excretion reflect the daily consumption of different servings of coffee or CBPCC, showing also significant differences in main pharmacokinetic parameters. Moreover, inter-subject variability due to sex and smoking is assessed, showing sex-related differences in the metabolism of trigonelline and smoking-related ones for N-methylpyridinium. Conclusion: The daily exposure to coffee pyridines after consumption of different coffee dosages in a real-life setting is established. This data will be useful for future studies aiming at evaluating the bioactivity of coffee-derived circulating metabolites in cell experiments, mimicking more realistic experimental conditions
The motivational interviewing skill code:Reliability and a critical appraisal
The Motivational Interviewing Skill Code (MISC) is a coding system developed to measure adherence to motivational interviewing (MI). MI is an effective clinical style used in different treatment situations. Counsellors practising MI have to follow general principles and avoid certain traps. In the present study, the content of the MISC is compared with the general principles of MI and the traps to avoid in MI. Investigation of the content validity raises some questions. All general principles are represented but the traps to avoid in MI are not fully covered. The consequences of this under-representation are shown in transcripts of a selection of well-conducted MI training sessions. The reliability of the MISC was investigated by having five independent coders code 39 MI training sessions of different counsellors. The reliability of the MISC is reasonable. The five coders agreed to a large extent on the absolute ratings but the intraclass correlations were low. Although the MISC can be a useful research tool for process research of MI, it remains a labour-intensive instrument and for teaching and practice audit development of a more simple coding system is recommended
A performance score of the quality of inpatient diabetes care is a marker of clinical outcomes and suggests a cause-effect relationship between hypoglycaemia and the risk of in-hospital mortality
Aims: To build a tool to assess the management of inpatients with diabetes mellitus and to investigate its relationship, if any, with clinical outcomes. Materials and methods: A total of 678 patients from different settings, Internal Medicine (IMU, n = 255), General Surgery (GSU, n = 230) and Intensive Care (ICU, n = 193) Units, were enrolled. A work-flow of clinical care of diabetes was created according to guidelines. The workflow was divided into five different domains: (a) initial assessment; (b) glucose monitoring; (c) medical therapy; (d) consultancies; (e) discharge. Each domain was assessed by a performance score (PS), computed as the sum of the scores achieved in a set of indicators of clinical appropriateness, management and patient empowerment. Appropriate glucose goals were included as intermediate phenotypes. Clinical outcomes included: hypoglycaemia, survival rate and clinical conditions at discharge. Results: The total PS and those of initial assessment and glucose monitoring were significantly lower in GSU with respect to IMU and ICU (P <.0001). The glucose monitoring PS was associated with lower risk of hypoglycaemia (OR = 0.55; P <.0001), whereas both the PSs of glucose monitoring and medical therapy resulted associated with higher in-hospital survival only in the IMU ward (OR = 6.67 P =.001 and OR = 2.38 P =.03, respectively). Instrumental variable analysis with the aid of PS of glucose monitoring showed that hypoglycaemia may play a causal role in in-hospital mortality (P =.04). Conclusions: The quality of in-hospital care of diabetes may affect patient outcomes, including glucose control and the risk of hypoglycaemia, and through the latter it may influence the risk of in-hospital mortality
A Transfer Matrix Method for Resonances in Randall-Sundrum Models
In this paper we discuss in detail a numerical method to study resonances in
membranes generated by domain walls in Randall-Sundrum-like scenarios. It is
based on similar works to understand the quantum mechanics of electrons subject
to the potential barriers that exist in heterostructures in semiconductors.
This method was used recently to study resonances of a three form field and
lately generalized to arbitrary forms. We apply it to a lot of important
models, namely those that contain the Gauge, Gravity and Spinor fields. In many
cases we find a rich structure of resonances which depends on the parameters
involved.Comment: 25 pages, 17 figure
Empirical comparison of high gradient achievement for different metals in DC and pulsed mode
For the SwissFEL project, an advanced high gradient low emittance gun is
under development. Reliable operation with an electric field, preferably above
125 MV/m at a 4 mm gap, in the presence of an UV laser beam, has to be achieved
in a diode configuration in order to minimize the emittance dilution due to
space charge effects. In the first phase, a DC breakdown test stand was used to
test different metals with different preparation methods at voltages up to 100
kV. In addition high gradient stability tests were also carried out over
several days in order to prove reliable spark-free operation with a minimum
dark current. In the second phase, electrodes with selected materials were
installed in the 250 ns FWHM, 500 kV electron gun and tested for high gradient
breakdown and for quantum efficiency using an ultra-violet laser.Comment: 25 pages, 13 figures, 5 tables. Follow up from FEL 2008 conference
(Geyongju Korea 2008) New Title in JVST A (2010) : Vacuum breakdown limit and
quantum efficiency obtained for various technical metals using DC and pulsed
voltage source
Pioglitazone corrects dysregulation of skeletal muscle mitochondrial proteins involved in ATP synthesis in type 2 diabetes
Context: In this study, we aimed to identify the determinants of mitochondrial dysfunction in skeletal muscle (SKLM) of subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), and to evaluate the effect of pioglitazone (PIO) on SKLM mitochondrial proteome. Methods: Two different groups of adults were studied. Group I consisted of 8 individuals with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and 8 with T2DM, subjected to SKLM mitochondrial proteome analysis by 2D-gel electrophoresis followed by mass spectrometry-based protein identification. Group II included 24 individuals with NGT and 24 with T2DM, whose SKLM biopsies were subjected to immunoblot analysis. Of the 24 subjects with T2DM, 20 were randomized to receive placebo or PIO (15 mg daily) for 6 months. After 6 months of treatment, SKLM biopsy was repeated. Results: Mitochondrial proteomic analysis on Group I revealed that several mitochondrial proteins involved in oxidative metabolism were differentially expressed between T2DM and NGT groups, with a downregulation of ATP synthase alpha chain (ATP5A), electron transfer flavoprotein alpha-subunit (ETFA), cytochrome c oxidase subunit VIb isoform 1 (CX6B1), pyruvate dehydrogenase protein X component (ODPX), dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (DLDH), dihydrolipoamide-S-succinyltransferase (DLST), and mitofilin, and an up-regulation of hydroxyacyl-CoA-dehydrogenase (HCDH), 3,2-trans-enoyl-CoA-isomerase (D3D2) and delta3,5-delta2,4-dienoyl-CoA-isomerase (ECH1) in T2DM as compared to NGT subjects. By immunoblot analysis on SKLM lysates obtained from Group II we confirmed that, in comparison to NGT subjects, those with T2DM exhibited lower protein levels of ATP5A (â30%, P = 0.006), ETFA (â50%, P = 0.02), CX6B1 (â30%, P = 0.03), key factors for ATP biosynthesis, and of the structural protein mitofilin (â30%, P = 0.01). T2DM was associated with a reduced abundance of the enzymes involved in the Krebs cycle DLST and ODPX (â20%, P †0.05) and increased levels of HCDH and ECH1, enzymes implicated in the fatty acid catabolism (+30%, P †0.05). In subjects with type 2 diabetes treated with PIO for 6 months we found a restored SKLM protein abundance of ATP5A, ETFA, CX6B1, and mitofilin. Moreover, protein levels of HCDH and ECH1 were reduced by â10% and â 15% respectively (P †0.05 for both) after PIO treatment. Conclusion: Type 2 diabetes is associated with reduced levels of mitochondrial proteins involved in oxidative phosphorylation and an increased abundance of enzymes implicated in fatty acid catabolism in SKLM. PIO treatment is able to improve SKLM mitochondrial proteomic profile in subjects with T2DM
de Sitter Thick Brane Solution in Weyl Geometry
In this paper, we consider a de Sitter thick brane model in a pure geometric
Weyl integrable five-dimensional space-time, which is a generalization of
Riemann geometry and is invariant under a so-called Weyl rescaling. We find a
solution of this model via performing a conformal transformation to map the
Weylian structure into a familiar Riemannian one with a conformal metric. The
metric perturbations of the model are discussed. For gravitational
perturbation, we get the effective modified Pschl-Teller
potential in corresponding Schrdinger equation for
Kaluza-Klein (KK) modes of the graviton. There is only one bound state, which
is a normalizable massless zero mode and represents a stable 4-dimensional
graviton. Furthermore, there exists a mass gap between the massless mode and
continuous KK modes. We also find that the model is stable under the scalar
perturbation in the metric. The correction to the Newtonian potential on the
brane is proportional to , where is the de Sitter
parameter of the brane. This is very different from the correction caused by a
volcano-like effective potential.Comment: 24 pages, 13 figures, published versio
2.7 Ga plume associated VMS mineralisation in the Eastern Goldfields Superterrane: insights from the Ag-Zn-(Au) Nimbus deposit
Effects of temperature on thick branes and the fermion (quasi-)localization
Following Campos's work [Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 141602 (2002)], we investigate
the effects of temperature on flat, de Sitter (dS), and anti-de Following
Campos's work [Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{88}, 141602 (2002)], we investigate the
effects of temperature on flat, de Sitter (dS), and anti-de Sitter (AdS) thick
branes in five-dimensional (5D) warped spacetime, and on the fermion
(quasi-)localization. First, in the case of flat brane, when the critical
temperature reaches, the solution of the background scalar field and the warp
factor is not unique. So the thickness of the flat thick brane is uncertain at
the critical value of the temperature parameter, which is found to be lower
than the one in flat 5D spacetime. The mass spectra of the fermion Kaluza-Klein
(KK) modes are continuous, and there is a series of fermion resonances. The
number and lifetime of the resonances are finite and increase with the
temperature parameter, but the mass of the resonances decreases with the
temperature parameter. Second, in the case of dS brane, we do not find such a
critical value of the temperature parameter. The mass spectra of the fermion KK
modes are also continuous, and there is a series of fermion resonances. The
effects of temperature on resonance number, lifetime, and mass are the same
with the case of flat brane. Last, in the case of AdS brane, {the critical
value of the temperature parameter can less or greater than the one in the flat
5D spacetime.} The spectra of fermion KK modes are discrete, and the mass of
fermion KK modes does not decrease monotonically with increasing temperature
parameter.Comment: 24 pages, 15 figures, published versio
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