Gauge Theories on Deformed Spaces

The aim of this review is to present an overview over available models and approaches to non-commutative gauge theory. Our main focus thereby is on gauge models formulated on flat Groenewold-Moyal spaces and renormalizability, but we will also review other deformations and try to point out common features. This review will by no means be complete and cover all approaches, it rather reflects a highly biased selection.Comment: v2 references added; v3 published versio

Preparation of Spent Bleaching Earth-supported Calcium From Limestone as Catalyst in Transesterification of Waste Frying Oil

An investigation was conducted on palm oil refinery waste-spent bleaching earth (POR-SBE), POR-SBE supported by calcium as catalysts for methyl esters production through transesterification process using waste frying oil. The catalysts showed longer lasting activity than the traditional alkali catalysts. The optimum conditions for the process were: Ca-POR-SBE catalyst amount 7 %; methanol to oil molar ratio 12:1; and a reaction duration is 4 h. The process was able to transesterify oil to methyl esters at 96.8 % conversion at 65 °C. The catalysts were easily separated from the reaction mixture and the final product met selected biodiesel fuel properties in accordance with European Standard EN 14214

Quantum Corrections for Translation-Invariant Renormalizable Non-Commutative Phi^4 Theory

In this paper we elaborate on the translation-invariant renormalizable Phi^4 theory in 4-dimensional non-commutative space which was recently introduced by the Orsay group. By explicitly performing Feynman graph calculations at one loop and higher orders we illustrate the mechanism which overcomes the UV/IR mixing problem and ultimately leads to a renormalizable model. The obtained results show that the IR divergences are also suppressed in the massless case, which is of importance for the gauge field theoretic generalization of the scalar field model.Comment: 18 pages, v2: slightly extended version including a new section on one-loop renormalization, v3: minor revisio

Ertapenem susceptibility of extended spectrum beta-lactamase-producing organisms

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Infections caused by multiply drug resistant organisms such as extended spectrum <it>beta</it>-lactamase (ESBL)-producing <it>Escherichia coli </it>and <it>Klebsiella pneumoniae </it>are increasing. Carbapenems (imipenem and meropenem) are the antibiotics commonly used to treat these agents. There is limited clinical data regarding the efficacy of the newest carbapenem, ertapenem, against these organisms. Ertapenem susceptibility of ESBL-producing <it>E. coli </it>and <it>K. pneumoniae </it>clinical isolates were evaluated and compared to imipenem to determine if imipenem susceptibility could be used as a surrogate for ertapenem susceptibility.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>100 ESBL isolates (n = 34 <it>E. coli </it>and n = 66 <it>K. pneumoniae</it>) collected from 2005–2006 clinical specimens at WRAMC were identified and tested for susceptibility by Vitek Legacy [bioMerieux, Durham, NC]. Ertapenem susceptibility was performed via epsilometer test (E-test) [AB Biodisk, Solna, Sweden].</p> <p>Results</p> <p>100% of ESBL isolates tested were susceptible to ertapenem. 100% of the same isolates were also susceptible to imipenem.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results, based on 100% susceptibility, suggest that ertapenem may be an alternative to other carbapenems for the treatment of infections caused by ESBL-producing <it>E. coli </it>and <it>K. pneumoniae</it>. Clinical outcomes studies are needed to determine if ertapenem is effective for the treatment of infection caused by these organisms. However, due to lack of resistant isolates, we are unable to conclude whether imipenem susceptibility accurately predicts ertapenem susceptibility.</p

Measurement of microbial activity in soil by colorimetric observation of in situ dye reduction: an approach to detection of extraterrestrial life

BACKGROUND: Detecting microbial life in extraterrestrial locations is a goal of space exploration because of ecological and health concerns about possible contamination of other planets with earthly organisms, and vice versa. Previously we suggested a method for life detection based on the fact that living entities require a continual input of energy accessed through coupled oxidations and reductions (an electron transport chain). We demonstrated using earthly soils that the identification of extracted components of electron transport chains is useful for remote detection of a chemical signature of life. The instrument package developed used supercritical carbon dioxide for soil extraction, followed by chromatography or electrophoresis to separate extracted compounds, with final detection by voltammetry and tandem mass-spectrometry. RESULTS: Here we used Earth-derived soils to develop a related life detection system based on direct observation of a biological redox signature. We measured the ability of soil microbial communities to reduce artificial electron acceptors. Living organisms in pure culture and those naturally found in soil were shown to reduce 2,3-dichlorophenol indophenol (DCIP) and the tetrazolium dye 2,3-bis(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide inner salt (XTT). Uninoculated or sterilized controls did not reduce the dyes. A soil from Antarctica that was determined by chemical signature and DNA analysis to be sterile also did not reduce the dyes. CONCLUSION: Observation of dye reduction, supplemented with extraction and identification of only a few specific signature redox-active biochemicals such as porphyrins or quinones, provides a simplified means to detect a signature of life in the soils of other planets or their moons

Interstitials, Vacancies, and Supersolid Order in Vortex Crystals

Interstitials and vacancies in the Abrikosov phase of clean Type II superconductors are line imperfections, which cannot extend across macroscopic equilibrated samples at low temperatures. We argue that the entropy associated with line wandering nevertheless can cause these defects to proliferate at a sharp transition which will exist if this occurs below the temperature at which the crystal actually melts. Vortices are both entangled and crystalline in the resulting ``supersolid'' phase, which in a dual ``boson'' analog system is closely related to a two-dimensional quantum crystal of He$^4$ with interstitials or vacancies in its ground state. The supersolid {\it must} occur for $B\gg B_\times$, where $B_\times$ is the decoupling field above which vortices begin to behave two-dimensionally. Numerical calculations show that interstitials, rather than vacancies, are the preferred defect for $B\gg \phi_0/\lambda_\perp^2$, and allow us to estimate whether proliferation also occurs for B\,\lot\,B_\times.The implications of the supersolid phase for transport measurements, dislocation configurations and neutron diffraction are discussed.Comment: 53 pages and 15 figures, available upon request, written in plain TE

Surveillance of adults with congenital heart disease:Current guidelines and actual clinical practice

Background and aim: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect with prevalence of 0.8%. Thanks to tremendous progress in medical and surgical practice, nowadays, &gt;90% of children survive into adulthood. Recently European Society of Cardiology (ESC), American College of Cardiology (ACC)/ American Heart Association (AHA) issued guidelines which offer diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations for the different defect categories. However, the type of technical exams and their frequency of follow-up may vary largely between clinicians and centres. We aimed to present an overview of available diagnostic modalities and describe current surveillance practices by cardiologists taking care of adults with CHD (ACHD).Methods and results: A questionnaire was used to assess the frequency cardiologists treating ACHD for at least one year administrated the most common diagnostic tests for ACHD. The most frequently employed diagnostic modalities were ECG and echocardiography for both mild and moderate/severe CHD. Sixty-seven percent of respondents reported that they routinely address psychosocial well-being. Conclusion: Differences exist between reported current clinical practice and published guidelines. This is particularly true for the care of patients with mild lesions. In addition, some differences exist between ESC and American guidelines, with more frequent surveillance suggested by the Americans.</p

Surveillance of adults with congenital heart disease:Current guidelines and actual clinical practice

Background and aim: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect with prevalence of 0.8%. Thanks to tremendous progress in medical and surgical practice, nowadays, &gt;90% of children survive into adulthood. Recently European Society of Cardiology (ESC), American College of Cardiology (ACC)/ American Heart Association (AHA) issued guidelines which offer diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations for the different defect categories. However, the type of technical exams and their frequency of follow-up may vary largely between clinicians and centres. We aimed to present an overview of available diagnostic modalities and describe current surveillance practices by cardiologists taking care of adults with CHD (ACHD).Methods and results: A questionnaire was used to assess the frequency cardiologists treating ACHD for at least one year administrated the most common diagnostic tests for ACHD. The most frequently employed diagnostic modalities were ECG and echocardiography for both mild and moderate/severe CHD. Sixty-seven percent of respondents reported that they routinely address psychosocial well-being. Conclusion: Differences exist between reported current clinical practice and published guidelines. This is particularly true for the care of patients with mild lesions. In addition, some differences exist between ESC and American guidelines, with more frequent surveillance suggested by the Americans.</p

Diversity of oxygenase genes from Methane- and Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in the Eastern Snake River Plain aquifier

PCR amplification, restriction fragment length polymorphism, and phylogenetic analysis of oxygenase genes were used for the characterization of in situ methane- and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria from free-living and attached communities in the Eastern Snake River Plain aquifer. The following three methane monooxygenase (MMO) PCR primer sets were used: A189-A682, which amplifies an internal region of both the pmoA gene of the MMO particulate form and the amoA gene of ammonia monooxygenase; A189-mb661, which specifically targets the pmoA gene; and mmoXA-mmoXB, which amplifies the mmoX gene of the MMO soluble form (sMMO). Whole-genome amplification (WGA) was used to amplify metagenomic DNA from each community to assess its applicability for generating unbiased metagenomic template DNA. The majority of sequences in each archive were related to oxygenases of type II-like methanotrophs of the genus Methylocystis. A small subset of type I sequences found only in free-living communities possessed oxygenase genes that grouped nearest to Methylobacter and Methylomonas spp. Sequences similar to that of the amoA gene associated with ammoniaoxidizing bacteria (AOB) most closely matched a sequence from the uncultured bacterium BS870 but showed no substantial alignment to known cultured AOB. Based on these functional gene analyses, bacteria related to the type II methanotroph Methylocystis sp. were found to dominate both free-living and attached communities. Metagenomic DNA amplified by WGA showed characteristics similar to those of unamplified samples. Overall, numerous sMMO-like gene sequences that have been previously associated with high rates of trichloroethylene cometabolism were observed in both free-living and attached communities in this basaltic aquifer.Copyrighted by American Society for Microbiology