Multipion correlations induced by isospin conservation of coherent emission

Recent measurements have revealed a significant suppression of multipion Bose-Einstein correlations in heavy-ion collisions at the LHC. The suppression may be explained by postulating coherent pion emission. Typically, the suppression of Bose-Einstein correlations due to coherence is taken into account with the coherent state formalism in quantum optics. However, since charged pion correlations are most often measured, the additional constraint of isospin conservation, which is absent in quantum optics, needs to be taken into account. As a consequence, correlations emerge between pions of opposite charge. A calculation of the correlations induced by isospin conservation of coherent emission is made for two, three- and four-pion correlation functions and compared to the data from the LHC.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure

Bremsstrahlung Cross Section with Polarized Beams for Luminosity Determination at the EIC

The bremsstrahlung cross section is calculated at leading order for polarized beams of electrons and ions, which is needed for luminosity measurements at the upcoming Electron Ion Collider (EIC). Analytic expressions, differential in the emitted photon energy and polar angle, are derived. The component of the cross section which depends on the beam polarizations is found to be highly suppressed with respect to the unpolarized Bethe-Heitler component, owing to the low $q^2$ that characterizes the bremsstrahlung process.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Malignant Colorectal Cancer in the Rio Grande Valley: A Demographical Study

Background: There is abundant demographical data available that provides an excellent general statistical overview of colorectal cancer (CRC) within the Hispanic population in South Texas. Much is known about the overarching trends regarding incidence, prevalence, mortality and screening rates among this specific population as compared to other racial and ethnic groups at the state and national levels. Despite our understanding of these broad trends, few studies have taken a step inward to provide a closer demographical analysis of a CRC population here in the Rio Grande Valley. In this study, we narrow the scope and take a closer look at this population to better understand its demographical composition and to identify potential disparities specific to this region that may be overlooked by broader studies. Methods: A retrospective medical chart review was performed on 96 patients with a primary diagnosis of malignant colorectal cancer who received care at the UTHealth RGV Surgery & Women’s Specialty Center in Harlingen, Texas between January 1st, 2020 and February 5th, 2021. Data regarding age, gender, race/ethnicity, insurance status, screening usage, comorbid conditions, follow-up rates, cancer stage, tumor location and treatment outcomes were collected. Results & Conclusion: Results for this study are pending due to initial delays in the IRB review process. Data is currently being collected and results will be submitted before the July 27th deadline

Factors influencing job satisfaction of managers at state owned enterprises

Understanding the factors that influence Job Satisfaction of managers is vital because satisfied managers will improve overall effectiveness of an organisation. State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) play a crucial role within economies, however a lack of attention has been focussed on understanding the concept of job satisfaction within this context. The main objective of this research was to identify the factors which are most important to influencing job satisfaction of managers at SOEs and to verify whether these factors are influenced by demographics. A survey was developed and utilised to gather data regarding the importance of several factors to a manager’s job satisfaction. The data that was gathered was statistically analysed in order to support or reject the research propositions. The findings of the research indicated that three factors predominantly influenced the job satisfaction of managers at SOEs; namely, Inspirational Leadership and Purposeful Work, Equitable Rewards and a Facilitative Work Environment and Effective Working Relationships and Work Life Balance. The results also provided support for the research propositions concluding that the factors influencing job satisfaction are certainly affected by demographics. A Three Factor Framework and Organisational Effectiveness Framework were developed to graphically represent the findings of the study. CopyrightDissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010.Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)unrestricte

Synchronous Gastrointestinal Metastatic Large Cell Neuroendocrine Tumor and Metastatic Colon Adenocarcinoma: Case Report

This article reports a case involving a synchronous silent metastatic rectal adenocarcinoma and metastatic large cell neuroendocrine tumor of the cecum and ascending colon. The patient presented with left sided abdominal pain and hematochezia with a noncontributory family, social, and medical history. This case presents a rare pathology not only due to the low incidence of synchronous gastrointestinal malignancies, but due to the unusual silent patient presentation

Molecular Modelling a Key Method for Potential Therapeutic Drug Discovery

The well-defined and characterized 3D crystal structure of a protein is important to explore the topological and physiological features of the protein. The distinguished topography of a protein helps medical chemists design drugs on the basis of the pharmacophoric features of the protein. Structure-based drug discovery, specifically for pathological proteins that cause a higher risk of disease, takes advantage of this fact. Current tools for studying drug-protein interactions include physical, chromatographic, and electrophoretic methods. These techniques can be separated into either non-spectroscopic (equilibrium dialysis, ultrafiltration, ultracentrifugation, etc.) or spectroscopic (Fluorescence spectroscopy, NMR, X-ray diffraction, etc.) methods. These methods, however, can be time-consuming and expensive. On the other hand, in silico methods of analyzing protein-drug interactions, such as docking, molecular simulations, and High-Throughput Virtual Screenings (HTVS), are heavily underutilized by core drug discovery laboratories. These kinds of approaches have a great potential for the mass screening of potential small drugs molecules. Studying protein-drug interactions is of particular importance for understanding how the structural conformation of protein elements affect overall ligand binding affinity. By taking a bioinformatics approach to analyzing drug-protein interactions, the speed with which we identify potential drugs for genetic targets can be greatly increased

Stress and Molecular Drivers for Cancer Progression: A Longstanding Hypothesis

Stress management is becoming very important part of cancer patient care. Chronic stressors lead to boost tumorigenesis and promote cancer development, recurrence, and drug resistant leading to poor health outcomes. The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, which is activated by stress, also regulates Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Thyroid (HPT) axis. Stress related changes in immune function and inflammatory response also leads to reduced immune surveillance resulting in tumorigenesis. This article explores the hormonal axis impacted by stress and how chronic stress can lead to poor outcome of a cancer patient

Performing a High-Throughput Virtual Screening (HVTS) to identify potential therapeutic targets of YB-1 protein

Background: Hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) is a primary malignancy of the liver. Hispanic-Texans have several risk factors and disparities that compound the risk of HCC diagnosis and treatment. The most used chemotherapeutic drug against HCC is sorafenib, but many liver cancers have developed a resistance to this drug. The knockdown of Y-box binding protein-1 (YB-1) has been shown to greatly increase sensitivity to sorafenib. In this study, we will discuss identification of potential YB-1 inhibitors, which can lead to re-sensitization of liver cancer cells to sorafenib. Methodology: The RCSB protein data bank (pdb) was used to retrieve the crystal structure of YB1, while the DrugBank database was used to obtain a list of experimental and approved drugs. A multiple sequence alignment (MSA) of YB-1 & Lin28 was done by Clustal Omega. Biovia Discovery Studio 2020 was used to visualize 3D models and perform a High-Throughput Virtual Screening (HTVS), which includes rigid docking via the LibDock extension, flexible docking via the CDocker extension, and a pharmacokinetic profiling via an ADMET analysis. Results: The cold shock domain of YB-1 was found to be conserved with Lin28, as a known transcription factor. 22 drug candidates were identified through HTVS. The best six show a decent binding ability in both rigid and flexible dockings and have been previously tested in different cancer types to some extent. Conclusion: We were able to identify six potential drug candidates for inhibiting our protein of interest, YB-1. Studies are in progress to study them on sorafenib-resistant HCC cell lines

Role of POTE-2 in hepatocellular carcinoma progression.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for 85-90% of primary liver cancers. The Hispanic population had an incidence of 21.2 per 100,000 in Texas. Particularly, the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) is an underserved area facing disparities that increase risk factors of HCC and thus, yielding higher incidence and mortality. Therefore, early, faster, and inexpensive diagnostic biomarkers and methods are crucial to under-resourced areas such as the RGV. Recently, we have identified an extracellular cancer antigen, POTE-2. Preliminary data indicates high POTE-2 expression in HCC tumors. In this study, we will discuss the role of POTE-2 in HCC progression and its associated regulatory pathways. Methods: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database of HCC patients (n=371 tumor; n=50 normal) was analyzed. Liver cancer cells were procured from ATCC. POTE-2 mRNA and protein expression analyzed via RT-PCR and western blot. Absolute copy number was determined using Digital Droplet PCR. Lentiviral-based plasmids were used for overexpression and knockdown studies. Signaling pathways were analyzed using Proteome Profiler array. Results: Comprehensive analysis of TCGA database revealed high POTE-2 expression tumors with upregulation in all stages of HCC. POTE-2 expression increases with nodal metastatic status leading to poor survival. The protein expression for POTE-2 was significantly higher in SK-HEP1 compared to C3A cells. Lentiviral transduction showed significant overexpression and knockdown of the POTE-2 protein. Modulation of POTE-2 expression led to changes in lncRNA and kinase pathways. Conclusion: These studies will help discover novel mechanisms of POTE-2 protein function, signaling pathways and roles in liver cancer progression