Mean-field description of pairing effects, BKT physics, and superfluidity in 2D Bose gases

We derive a mean-field description for two-dimensional (2D) interacting Bose gases at arbitrary temperatures. We find that genuine Bose-Einstein condensation with long-range coherence only survives at zero temperature. At finite temperatures, many-body pairing effects included in our mean-field theory introduce a finite amplitude for the pairing density, which results in a finite superfluid density. We incorporate Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) physics into our model by considering the phase fluctuations of our pairing field. This then leads to the result that the superfluid phase is only stable below the BKT temperature due to these phase fluctuations. In the weakly interacting regime at low temperature we compare our theory to previous results from perturbative calculations, renormalization group calculations as well as Monte Carlo simulations. We present a finite-temperature phase diagram of 2D Bose gases. One signature of the finite amplitude of the pairing density field is a two-peak structure in the single-particle spectral function, resembling that of the pseudogap phase in 2D attractive Fermi gases. © 2014 Elsevier Inc

Physicochemical, pasting and thermal properties of tuber starches as modified by guar gum and locust bean gum

[[abstract]]This study was carried out in order to compare the functional characteristics of isolated starch from five tuber crops, yam, taro, sweet potato, yam bean and potato, as well as effect of guar gum (GG) and locust bean gum (LBG) on pasting and thermal properties of tuber starches. The results showed that total amylose content of five tested starches ranged from 17.85% to 30.36%. The results of pasting behaviour showed that potato starches exhibited the highest peak viscosity and yam starch presented a stable curve with little breakdown viscosity. Addition of GG and LBG resulted in a significant increase in peak, final viscosity, breakdown and setback viscosity for all tuber starches (P < 0.05), but a slight decrease in pasting temperature. The gelatinisation enthalpy (Delta H) for starches with GG and LBG was slightly lower than those of the starches alone in yam and sweet potato, but not in taro and yam bean

Effect of acetic acid on telomerase activity in premalignant and malignant cervical lesions

PubMe

Optimal Receiver Antenna Location in Indoor Environment Using Dynamic Differential Evolution and Genetic Algorithm

[[abstract]]Using the impulse responses of these multipath channels, the bit error rate (BER) performance for binary pulse amplitude modulation impulse radio ultra-wideband communication system is calculated. The optimization location of receiving antenna is investigated by dynamic differential evolution (DDE) and genetic algorithm (GA) to minimize the outage probability. Numerical results show that the performance for reducing BER and outage probability by DDE algorithm is better than that by GA.[[notice]]補正完畢[[incitationindex]]SCI[[booktype]]紙本[[booktype]]電子

Geographic and research center origins of rice resistance to asian planthoppers and leafhoppers: Implications for rice breeding and gene deployment

2017 by the authors. This study examines aspects of virulence to resistant rice varieties among planthoppers and leafhoppers. Using a series of resistant varieties, brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens, virulence was assessed in seedlings and early-tillering plants at seven research centers in South and East Asia. Virulence of the whitebacked planthopper, Sogatella furcifera, in Taiwan and the Philippines was also assessed. Phylogenetic analysis of the varieties using single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) indicated a clade of highly resistant varieties from South Asia with two further South Asian clades of moderate resistance. Greenhouse bioassays indicated that planthoppers can develop virulence against multiple resistance genes including genes introgressed from wild rice species. Nilaparvata lugens populations from Punjab (India) and the Mekong Delta (Vietnam) were highly virulent to a range of key resistance donors irrespective of variety origin. Sogatella furcifera populations were less virulent to donors than N. lugens; however, several genes for resistance to S. furcifera are now ineffective in East Asia. A clade of International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)-bred varieties and breeding lines, without identified leafhopper-resistance genes, were highly resistant to the green leafhopper, Nephotettix virescens. Routine phenotyping during breeding programs likely maintains high levels of quantitative resistance to leafhoppers. We discuss these results in the light of breeding and deploying resistant rice in Asia

Association between amebic liver abscess and Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection in Taiwanese subjects

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Purpose</p> <p>Invasive amebiasis is an emerging parasitic disorder in Taiwan, especially in patients diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Thirty-three Taiwanese subjects with amebic liver abscess (ALA) were examined and a possible correlation between ALA and HIV infection was investigated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Among ALA patients, the proportion of HIV-positive individuals increased during the study period. ALA was the first major clinical presentation in 54% of HIV patients with ALA. Overall, 58% (14/24) of HIV-infected patients had a CD4+ count > 200 cells/μL and 82.1% (23/28) had no concurrent opportunistic infection or other evidence of HIV infection. There was no marked difference in clinical characteristics between HIV-positive and HIV-negative ALA patients except the level of leukocytosis.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>While the clinical characteristics described herein cannot be used to determine whether ALA patients have HIV infection, routine HIV testing is recommended in patients with ALA, even in the absence of HIV symptoms.</p

Effect of prolonged HAART on oral colonization with Candida and candidiasis

BACKGROUND: Progressive cell-mediated immunodeficiency with decrease of CD4+ lymphocyte count to less than or equal to 200 cells/mm(3 )is a major risk factor for colonization with Candida species and development of candidiasis. Oropharyngeal candidiasis may occur in up to 90% of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients during the course of the disease. This study is to determine the effect of prolonged highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on oropharyngeal colonization with Candida species and oral candidiasis. METHODS: A prospective, longitudinal follow-up study in HIV-infected patients receiving HAART. RESULTS: The mean CD4+ count increased from 232.5 to 316 cells/mm(3 )and the proportion of patients whose CD4+ count less than 200 cells/mm(3 )decreased from 50.0% to 28.9% (p = 0.0003) in patients receiving HAART for at least 2 years. The prevalence of oral candidiasis decreased from 10.6% to 2.1% (p = 0.004). The decrease in Candida colonization was less impressive, falling from 57.8% to 46.5 % (p = 0.06). Of the 142 patients enrolled in at least two surveys, 48 (33.8%) remained colonized with Candida and 42 (29.6%) remained negative. In the remaining 52 patients, 34 switched from culture positive to negative, and an increase in CD4+ lymphocytes was noted in 91.2% of them. Among the 18 patients who switched from culture negative to positive, 61.1% also demonstrated an increase in CD4+ lymphocyte count (p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that HAART is highly effective in decreasing oral candidiasis in association with a rise in CD4+ lymphocyte counts, but only marginally effective in eliminating Candida from the oropharynx

Early and efficient detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputum by microscopic observation of broth cultures.

Early, efficient and inexpensive methods for the detection of pulmonary tuberculosis are urgently needed for effective patient management as well as to interrupt transmission. These methods to detect M. tuberculosis in a timely and affordable way are not yet widely available in resource-limited settings. In a developing-country setting, we prospectively evaluated two methods for culturing and detecting M. tuberculosis in sputum. Sputum samples were cultured in liquid assay (micro broth culture) in microplate wells and growth was detected by microscopic observation, or in Löwenstein-Jensen (LJ) solid media where growth was detected by visual inspection for colonies. Sputum samples were collected from 321 tuberculosis (TB) suspects attending Bugando Medical Centre, in Mwanza, Tanzania, and were cultured in parallel. Pulmonary tuberculosis cases were diagnosed using the American Thoracic Society diagnostic standards. There were a total of 200 (62.3%) pulmonary tuberculosis cases. Liquid assay with microscopic detection detected a significantly higher proportion of cases than LJ solid culture: 89.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 84.7% to 93.3%) versus 77.0% (95% CI, 71.2% to 82.8%) (p = 0.0007). The median turn around time to diagnose tuberculosis was significantly shorter for micro broth culture than for the LJ solid culture, 9 days (interquartile range [IQR] 7-13), versus 21 days (IQR 14-28) (p<0.0001). The cost for micro broth culture (labor inclusive) in our study was US $4.56 per sample, versus US$11.35 per sample for the LJ solid culture. The liquid assay (micro broth culture) is an early, feasible, and inexpensive method for detection of pulmonary tuberculosis in resource limited settings

Mutation spectrum of 122 hemophilia A families from Taiwanese population by LD-PCR, DHPLC, multiplex PCR and evaluating the clinical application of HRM

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hemophilia A represents the most common and severe inherited hemorrhagic disorder. It is caused by mutations in the F8 gene, which leads to a deficiency or dysfunctional factor VIII protein, an essential cofactor in the factor X activation complex.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We used long-distance polymerase chain reaction and denaturing high performance liquid chromatography for mutation scanning of the F8 gene. We designed the competitive multiplex PCR to identify the carrier with exonal deletions. In order to facilitate throughput and minimize the cost of mutation scanning, we also evaluated a new mutation scanning technique, high resolution melting analysis (HRM), as an alternative screening method.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We presented the results of detailed screening of 122 Taiwanese families with hemophilia A and reported twenty-nine novel mutations. There was one family identified with whole exons deletion, and the carriers were successfully recognized by multiplex PCR. By HRM, the different melting curve patterns were easily identified in 25 out of 28 cases (89%) and 15 out of 15 (100%) carriers. The sensitivity was 93 % (40/43). The overall mutation detection rate of hemophilia A was 100% in this study.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We proposed a diagnostic strategy for hemophilia A genetic diagnosis. We consider HRM as a powerful screening tool that would provide us with a more cost-effective protocol for hemophilia A mutation identification.</p