Evidence for a two component magnetic response in UPt3

The magnetic response of the heavy fermion superconductor UPt_3 has been investigated on a microscopic scale by muon Knight shift studies. Two distinct and isotropic Knight shifts have been found for the field in the basal plane. While the volume fractions associated with the two Knight shifts are approximately equal at low and high temperatures, they show a dramatic and opposite temperature dependence around T_N. Our results are independent on the precise muon localization site. We conclude that UPt_3 is characterized by a two component magnetic response.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Odd Frequency Pairing in the Kondo Lattice

We discuss the possibility that heavy fermion superconductors involve odd-frequency pairing of the kind first considered by Berezinskii. Using a toy model for odd frequency triplet pairing in the Kondo lattice we are able to examine key properties of this new type of paired state. To make progress treating the strong $n_f=1$ constraint in the Kondo lattice model we use the technical trick of a Majorana representation of the local moments, which permits variational treatments of the model without a Gutzwiller approximation. The simplest mean field theory involves the development of bound states between the local moments and conduction electrons, characterized by a spinor order parameter. We show that this state is a stable realization of odd frequency triplet superconductivity with surfaces of gapless excitations whose spin and charge coherence factors vanish linearly in the quasiparticle energy. A $T^3$ NMR relaxation rate coexists with a linear specific heat. We discuss possible extensions of our toy model to describe heavy fermion superconductivity.Comment: 67 page

Using honey to heal diabetic foot ulcers

Diabetic ulcers seem to be arrested in the inflammatory/proliferative stage of the healing process, allowing infection and inflammation to preclude healing. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria have become a major cause of infections, including diabetic foot infections. It is proposed here that the modern developments of an ancient and traditional treatment for wounds, dressing them with honey, provide the solution to the problem of getting diabetic ulcers to move on from the arrested state of healing. Honeys selected to have a high level of antibacterial activity have been shown to be very effective against antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria in laboratory and clinical studies. The potent anti-inflammatory action of honey is also likely to play an important part in overcoming the impediment to healing that inflammation causes in diabetic ulcers, as is the antioxidant activity of honey. The action of honey in promotion of tissue regeneration through stimulation of angiogenesis and the growth of fibroblasts and epithelial cells, and its insulin-mimetic effect, would also be of benefit in stimulating the healing of diabetic ulcers. The availability of honey-impregnated dressings which conveniently hold honey in place on ulcers has provided a means of rapidly debriding ulcers and removing the bacterial burden so that good healing rates can be achieved with neuropathic ulcers. With ischemic ulcers, where healing cannot occur because of lack of tissue viability, these honey dressings keep the ulcers clean and prevent infection occurring

The sacred and the profane: biotechnology, rationality, and public debate

Davies G, 2006. The definitive, peer-reviewed and edited version of this article is published in Environment and Planning A, 38(3), pp. 423 – 443 DOI: 10.1068/a37387This paper explores the forms of argumentation employed by participants in a recent public engagement process in the United Kingdom around new technologies for organ transplantation, with specific reference to xenotransplantation and stem-cell research. Two forms of reasoning recur throughout participants’ deliberations which challenge specialist framing of this issue. First, an often scatological humour and sense of the profane are evident in the ways in which participants discuss the bodily transformations that such technologies demand. Second, a sense of the sacred, in which new biotechnologies are viewed as against nature or in which commercial companies are ‘playing god’, is a repetitive and well-recognised concern. Such forms of reasoning are frequently dismissed by policymakers as ‘uninformed gut reactions’. Yet they also form a significant part of the repertoire of scientists themselves as they proclaim the hope of new medical breakthroughs, or seek to reconstruct ideas of the body to facilitate new biotechnological transformations. Through questioning of assumptions in Habermas’s notion of discourse ethics, and exploring the importance of hybridity and corporeality as concepts in ethical thinking, the author suggests that, far from being ill-formed opinions, such reasonings perform an important function for thinking through the ontological significance of the corporealisation of these proposed new forms of human and animal bodies

Autophagy and ATP-induced anti-apoptosis in antigen presenting cells (APC) follows the cytokine storm in patients after major trauma

Severe trauma and the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) occur as a result of a cytokine storm which is in part due to ATP released from damaged tissue. This pathology also leads to increased numbers of immature antigen presenting cells (APC) sharing properties of dendritic cells (DC) or macrophages (MΦ). The occurrence of immature APC appears to coincide with the reactivation of herpes virus infections such as Epstein Barr virus (EBV). The aim of this study was the comparative analysis of the ultrastructural and functional characteristics of such immature APC. In addition, we investigated EBV infection/ reactivation and whether immature APC might be targets for natural killers (NK). Significant macroautophagy, mitochondrial degradation and multivesicular body formation together with the identification of herpes virus particles were morphological findings associated with immature APC. Exogenous stressors such as ATP further increased morphological signs of autophagy, including LC3 expression. Functional tests using fluorescent bacteria proved impaired phagolysosome fusion. However, immature APC were susceptible to NK-92-mediated cytolysis. We found evidence for EBV latency state II infection by detecting EBV-specific LMP1 and EBNA2 in immature APC and in whole blood of these patients. In summary, trauma-induced cytokine storms may induce maturation arrest of APC, promote ATP-induced autophagy, support EBV persistence and impair the degradation of phagocytozed bacteria through inefficient phagolysosome fusion. The susceptibility to NK-mediated cytolysis supports the hypothesis that NK function is likely to contribute to immune reconstitution after major trauma by regulating immature APC, and ATP-induced autophagy and survival

Observation of one-way Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering

The distinctive non-classical features of quantum physics were first discussed in the seminal paper by A. Einstein, B. Podolsky and N. Rosen (EPR) in 1935. In his immediate response E. Schr\"odinger introduced the notion of entanglement, now seen as the essential resource in quantum information as well as in quantum metrology. Furthermore he showed that at the core of the EPR argument is a phenomenon which he called steering. In contrast to entanglement and violations of Bell's inequalities, steering implies a direction between the parties involved. Recent theoretical works have precisely defined this property. Here we present an experimental realization of two entangled Gaussian modes of light by which in fact one party can steer the other but not conversely. The generated one-way steering gives a new insight into quantum physics and may open a new field of applications in quantum information.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Identifying the Leaders: Applying Diffusion of Innovation Theory to Use of a Public Bikeshare System in Vancouver, Canada

Public bike share programs are growing in popularity globally with increasing recognition of their potential and accrued benefits for mobility, health, and the environment. Any city planning to launch a program will be keenly interested in understanding who may use it, in order to enable strategic marketing that will facilitate quick uptake and adoption. We applied the Diffusion of Innovation Theory to data from a population-based telephone survey to characterize who is most likely to use a new public bike share program. The telephone survey of 901 Vancouver residents was conducted prior to the launch of Vancouver\u27s public bike share program. Results showed that a majority (n=614/901, 69.1%, 95% CI: 66.3%/72.7%) of respondents thought that public bike share was a good idea, however, only a quarter (n=217/901, 24.2%, 95% CI: 21.1%, 27.3%) said they would be either likely or very likely to use the program. Logistic regression identified characteristics associated with greater and lower likelihood of use. These characteristics were used to create an adoption curve that defines population segments anticipated to be the leaders in adopting the program. The theory was used to develop implementation recommendations to maximize program uptake including ensuring that the program has tangible advantages over driving or transit; is affordable and easy to try out; integrates with transit and car share opportunities; and appeals to social trends such as environmental responsibility. These results can assist planning and promotion in cities set to launch public bike share programs

Engaging service users and carers in health and social care education: : challenges and opportunities in the Chinese Community

This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis Group in Social Work Education on 25 June 2010, available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2010.491542.Service users' and carers' involvement in health and social care education has become a mainstream activity in Britain. However, members from black and minority ethnic communities (BME) remain under-represented in this area of participation. In this article, we will take the readers across the globe to explore the difficulties and opportunities of engaging such an under-represented group, the Chinese community. The journey will begin in Britain where barriers to engagement of service users and carers from the Chinese community will be discussed. We will then travel to Hong Kong, a cosmopolitan city, where successful engagement in work with Chinese service users and carers will be explored. Throughout the journey, we will highlight the importance of the consideration of cultural factors, particularly Confucian beliefs such as social harmony and collectivism, when working with Chinese people. We will also fully explore the issue of ‘trust’ as a culturally laden concept in Chinese societies and its significance for successful engagement in work with Chinese service users and carers in different parts of the world.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio