Renormalization of effective interactions in a negative charge-transfer insulator

We compute from first principles the effective interaction parameters appropriate for a low-energy description of the rare-earth nickelate LuNiO$_{3}$ involving the partially occupied $e_g$ states only. The calculation uses the constrained random-phase approximation and reveals that the effective on-site Coulomb repulsion is strongly reduced by screening effects involving the oxygen-$p$ and nickel-$t_{2g}$ states. The long-range component of the effective low-energy interaction is also found to be sizeable. As a result, the effective on-site interaction between parallel-spin electrons is reduced down to a small negative value. This validates effective low-energy theories of these materials proposed earlier. Electronic structure methods combined with dynamical mean-field theory are used to construct and solve an appropriate low-energy model and explore its phase diagram as a function of the on-site repulsion and Hund's coupling. For the calculated values of these effective interactions we find, in agreement with experiments, that LuNiO$_{3}$ is a metal without disproportionation of the $e_g$ occupancy when considered in its orthorhombic structure, while the monoclinic phase is a disproportionated insulator.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure

Influence of spin fluctuations near the Mott transition: a DMFT study

Dynamics of magnetic moments near the Mott metal-insulator transition is investigated by a combined slave-rotor and Dynamical Mean-Field Theory solution of the Hubbard model with additional fully-frustrated random Heisenberg couplings. In the paramagnetic Mott state, the spinon decomposition allows to generate a Sachdev-Ye spin liquid in place of the collection of independent local moments that typically occurs in the absence of magnetic correlations. Cooling down into the spin-liquid phase, the onset of deviations from pure Curie behavior in the spin susceptibility is found to be correlated to the temperature scale at which the Mott transition lines experience a marked bending. We also demonstrate a weakening of the effective exchange energy upon approaching the Mott boundary from the Heisenberg limit, due to quantum fluctuations associated to zero and doubly occupied sites.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures. V3 was largely expande

Performance Analysis of MANET Routing Protocols - DSDV, DSR, AODV, AOMDV Using Ns-2

A Mobile Ad hoc Network (MANET) eliminates the complexity of an infrastructure configuration and allows wireless devices to communicate with each other independent of central infrastructure. It does not rely on a base station to coordinate the flow of messages to nodes in the network. A primary challenge for each device is to maintain the information to route traffic and data packets. Here, in our paper we analyze the performances of Destination Sequenced Distance Vector Routing (DSDV), Dynamic Source Routing (DSR), Ad hoc On-demand Distance Vector (AODV), Ad hoc On-demand Multi-path Distance Vector (AOMDV) protocols based on the Quality of Service metrics i.e., Packet Delivery Ratio, Packet Loss, Delay, Control Packet Overhead and Throughput using the Network Simulator (ns-2). In this paper we are presenting functionality, benefits, limitations and simulation results for the above mentioned routing protocols

Applying the COM-B model to creation of an IT-enabled health coaching and resource linkage program for low-income Latina moms with recent gestational diabetes: the STAR MAMA program.

BACKGROUND:One of the fastest growing risk groups for early onset of diabetes is women with a recent pregnancy complicated by gestational diabetes, and for this group, Latinas are the largest at-risk group in the USA. Although evidence-based interventions, such as the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), which focuses on low-cost changes in eating, physical activity and weight management can lower diabetes risk and delay onset, these programs have yet to be tailored to postpartum Latina women. This study aims to tailor a IT-enabled health communication program to promote DPP-concordant behavior change among postpartum Latina women with recent gestational diabetes. The COM-B model (incorporating Capability, Opportunity, and Motivational behavioral barriers and enablers) and the Behavior Change Wheel (BCW) framework, convey a theoretically based approach for intervention development. We combined a health literacy-tailored health IT tool for reaching ethnic minority patients with diabetes with a BCW-based approach to develop a health coaching intervention targeted to postpartum Latina women with recent gestational diabetes. Current evidence, four focus groups (n = 22 participants), and input from a Regional Consortium of health care providers, diabetes experts, and health literacy practitioners informed the intervention development. Thematic analysis of focus group data used the COM-B model to determine content. Relevant cultural, theoretical, and technological components that underpin the design and development of the intervention were selected using the BCW framework. RESULTS:STAR MAMA delivers DPP content in Spanish and English using health communication strategies to: (1) validate the emotions and experiences postpartum women struggle with; (2) encourage integration of prevention strategies into family life through mothers becoming intergenerational custodians of health; and (3) increase social and material supports through referral to social networks, health coaches, and community resources. Feasibility, acceptability, and health-related outcomes (weight loss, physical activity, consumption of healthy foods, breastfeeding, and glucose screening) will be evaluated at 9 months postpartum using a randomized controlled trial design. CONCLUSIONS:STAR MAMA provides a DPP-based intervention that integrates theory-based design steps. Through systematic use of behavioral theory to inform intervention development, STAR MAMA may represent a strategy to develop health IT intervention tools to meet the needs of diverse populations. TRIAL REGISTRATION:ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02240420

JnCML-like, an EF-hand motif-containing gene seasonally upregulated in the transition zone of black walnut (Juglans nigra L.)

The economic value of a black walnut (Juglans nigra L.) tree is strongly determined by the quality and quantity of darkly colored heartwood in its stem. To understand the regulation of heartwood formation, we analyzed the region of heartwood formation in walnut stems (i.e., the transition zone, TZ) for the expression of 80 ESTs. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR and real-time PCR was performed to detect expression changes of candidate genes in the TZ and sapwood of trees harvested in summer and fall. Results revealed that the transcript of a clone containing two presumed EF-hand motifs was expressed at higher levels in the TZ than in other xylem tissues. Analysis of the full-length coding sequence revealed that the black walnut gene JnCML-like is similar to grancalcin-like calcium-binding EF hand proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana (At3g10300) and Zea mays (NM 001153810). A model of the predicted structure of JnCML-like showed it is similar to grancalcin and m-calpain, penta-EF-hand family proteins associated with cell proliferation, differentiation and programmed cell death. JnCML-like transcript was detected in tissue from the region of the pith meristem, and in roots, embryogenic callus, vascular cambium, female flowers, male flowers, green leaves, and partially and fully senescent leaves of black walnut, although transcript abundance varied considerably among these tissues

A Novel Framework For User Customizable Privacy Preserving Search

The objective of the Personalized web search (PWS) is to provide an effective and efficient search results, which are tailor mode for individual user needs. we build user profiles based on user preference and these profiles are then used to re-rank the search results and rank the order of user-examined results.User privacy can be protected without affecting the personalized search quality. However, users are troubled, with exposing personal preference information to search engines has become a major limitation for profile based personalized web search.The Privacy-preserving personalized web search framework is called UPS framework which can generalize profiles for each query according to user-specific privacy requirements. .In general, there is a tradeoff between the search quality and the level of privacy protection achieved from generalization. Effective generalization algorithms namely GreedyDP and GreedyIL are used to support the runtime profiling. Experiments are conducted on real web search data show that the algorithms are effective in enhancing the stability of the search quality and avoids the unnecessary exposure of the user profile. DOI: 10.17762/ijritcc2321-8169.150313

Human GUCY2C-Targeted Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-Expressing T Cells Eliminate Colorectal Cancer Metastases.

One major hurdle to the success of adoptive T-cell therapy is the identification of antigens that permit effective targeting of tumors in the absence of toxicities to essential organs. Previous work has demonstrated that T cells engineered to express chimeric antigen receptors (CAR-T cells) targeting the murine homolog of the colorectal cancer antigen GUCY2C treat established colorectal cancer metastases, without toxicity to the normal GUCY2C-expressing intestinal epithelium, reflecting structural compartmentalization of endogenous GUCY2C to apical membranes comprising the intestinal lumen. Here, we examined the utility of a human-specific, GUCY2C-directed single-chain variable fragment as the basis for a CAR construct targeting human GUCY2C-expressing metastases. Human GUCY2C-targeted murine CAR-T cells promoted antigen-dependent T-cell activation quantified by activation marker upregulation, cytokine production, and killing of GUCY2C-expressing, but not GUCY2C-deficient, cancer cells in vitro. GUCY2C CAR-T cells provided long-term protection against lung metastases of murine colorectal cancer cells engineered to express human GUCY2C in a syngeneic mouse model. GUCY2C murine CAR-T cells recognized and killed human colorectal cancer cells endogenously expressing GUCY2C, providing durable survival in a human xenograft model in immunodeficient mice. Thus, we have identified a human GUCY2C-specific CAR-T cell therapy approach that may be developed for the treatment of GUCY2C-expressing metastatic colorectal cancer

Heme Induction with Delta-Aminolevulinic Acid Stimulates an Increase in Water and Electrolyte Excretion

Purpose. Studies were performed to examine hemodynamic and renal function before and after acute induction of the endogenous CO system with delta-aminolevulinic acid (DALA), which drives HO activity. Methods. In vivo studies were conducted on Inactin-anesthetized male Sprague Dawley rats (250–300 g) either with or without chronic pretreatment with L-NAME (50 mg/Kg, q12 hours x4d). Results. DALA (80 μmol/Kg, IV bolus) administration acutely increased endogenous CO production and HO-1 protein. In untreated and L-NAME-pretreated rats, DALA did not alter BP, GFR, or RBF but increased UF, UNaV, and UKV (untreated: Δ108.8 ± 0.28%, 172.1 ± 18.4%, and 165.2 ± 45.9%; pretreated: Δ109.4 ± 0.29%, 187.3 ± 26.9%, and 197.2 ± 45.7%). Acute administration of biliverdin (20 mg/kg, IV) and bilirubin (30 mg/kg, IV) to similarly treated animals did not alter UF, UNaV, and UKV. Conclusion. These results demonstrate that heme oxygenase induction increases urine and electrolyte excretion and suggest a direct tubular action of endogenous carbon monoxide