Ultrafast changes in lattice symmetry probed by coherent phonons

The electronic and structural properties of a material are strongly determined by its symmetry. Changing the symmetry via a photoinduced phase transition offers new ways to manipulate material properties on ultrafast timescales. However, in order to identify when and how fast these phase transitions occur, methods that can probe the symmetry change in the time domain are required. We show that a time-dependent change in the coherent phonon spectrum can probe a change in symmetry of the lattice potential, thus providing an all-optical probe of structural transitions. We examine the photoinduced structural phase transition in VO2 and show that, above the phase transition threshold, photoexcitation completely changes the lattice potential on an ultrafast timescale. The loss of the equilibrium-phase phonon modes occurs promptly, indicating a non-thermal pathway for the photoinduced phase transition, where a strong perturbation to the lattice potential changes its symmetry before ionic rearrangement has occurred.Comment: 14 pages 4 figure

A patient with Graves' disease who survived despite developing thyroid storm and lactic acidosis

A 56-year-old woman with Graves' disease presented with the complaints of diarrhea and palpitations. Physical examination and laboratory data revealed hypothermia and signs of mild hyperthyroidism, heart failure, hepatic dysfunction with jaundice, hypoglycemia, and lactic acidosis. The patient was diagnosed as having developed the complication of thyroid storm in the absence of marked elevation of the thyroid hormone levels, because of the potential hepatic and cardiac dysfunctions caused by heavy alcohol drinking. A year later, after successful treatment, the patient remains well without any clinical evidence of heart failure or hepatic dysfunction. Thyroid storm associated with lactic acidosis and hypothermia is a serious condition and has rarely been reported. Prompt treatment is essential even if the serum thyroid hormone levels are not markedly elevated. We present a report about this patient, as her life could eventually be saved

Zygosity diagnosis in young twins by parental report

this paper is twofold. First, the validity of zygosity classification across childhood is examined in a large sample. One might expect the physical dissimilarity between dizygotic twins to become more obvious as they grow up. If so, the accuracy of classification is likely to improve with increasing age of the participants. A few studies have reported on this issue by evaluating the precision of zygosity diagnosis between samples varying in age, 8,19,23 and by test--retest estimatio

Core components for effective infection prevention and control programmes: new WHO evidence-based recommendations

Abstract Health care-associated infections (HAI) are a major public health problem with a significant impact on morbidity, mortality and quality of life. They represent also an important economic burden to health systems worldwide. However, a large proportion of HAI are preventable through effective infection prevention and control (IPC) measures. Improvements in IPC at the national and facility level are critical for the successful containment of antimicrobial resistance and the prevention of HAI, including outbreaks of highly transmissible diseases through high quality care within the context of universal health coverage. Given the limited availability of IPC evidence-based guidance and standards, the World Health Organization (WHO) decided to prioritize the development of global recommendations on the core components of effective IPC programmes both at the national and acute health care facility level, based on systematic literature reviews and expert consensus. The aim of the guideline development process was to identify the evidence and evaluate its quality, consider patient values and preferences, resource implications, and the feasibility and acceptability of the recommendations. As a result, 11 recommendations and three good practice statements are presented here, including a summary of the supporting evidence, and form the substance of a new WHO IPC guideline

Quantum Gravity in Everyday Life: General Relativity as an Effective Field Theory

This article is meant as a summary and introduction to the ideas of effective field theory as applied to gravitational systems. Contents: 1. Introduction 2. Effective Field Theories 3. Low-Energy Quantum Gravity 4. Explicit Quantum Calculations 5. ConclusionsComment: 56 pages, 2 figures, JHEP style, Invited review to appear in Living Reviews of Relativit

Socio-economic inequalities in physical activity practice among Italian children and adolescents: a cross-sectional study

Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate whether socio-economic inequalities in the practice of physical activity existed among children and adolescents, using different indicators of socio-economic status (SES). Subjects and methods: Data were derived from the Italian National Health Interview Survey carried out in 2004–2005, which examined a large random sample of the Italian population using both an interviewer-administered and a self-compiled questionnaire. This study was based on a sample of 15,216 individuals aged 6–17 years. The practice of physical activity was measured on the basis of questions regarding frequency and intensity of activity during leisure time over the past 12 months. Parents’ educational and occupational level, as well as family’s availability of material resource, were used as indicators of SES. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate the contribution of each SES indicator to the practice of physical activity, adjusting for potential confounding factors. The results of the regression models are expressed as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results: About 64% of children and adolescents in the sample declared that they participated in moderate or vigorous physical activity at least once a week. After adjustment for gender, age, parental attitudes towards physical activity and geographical area, the practice of physical activity increased with higher parental educational and occupational level and greater availability of material resources. Children and adolescents whose parents held a middle or high educational title were 80% more likely to practice moderate or vigorous physical activity than subjects whose parents had a lower level of education (OR = 1.80, 95% CI: 1.40–2.33), while subjects with unemployed parents had an odds of practicing moderate or vigorous physical activity 0.43 times that of those children whose parents belonged to the top job occupation category (administrative/professionals). Socio-economic differences were about the same when the practice of vigorous physical activity only was considered instead of that of moderate or vigorous physical activity. Conclusion: Interventions that promote the practice of physical activity, and especially those aimed at the wider physical and social environment, are strongly needed to contrast socio-economic differences in physical activity among children and adolescents

Muscle invasive bladder cancer in Upper Egypt: the shift in risk factors and tumor characteristics

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In Egypt, where bilharziasis is endemic, bladder cancer is the commonest cancer in males and the 2^ndin females; squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the commonest type found, with a peculiar mode of presentation. The aim of this study is to identify and rank the risk factors of muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) in Upper Egypt and describe its specific criteria of presentation and histopathology.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This is an analytical, hospital based, case controlled study conducted in south Egypt cancer institute through comparing MIBC cases (n = 130) with age, sex and residence matched controls (n = 260) for the presence of risk factors of MIBC. Data was collected by personal interview using a well designed questionnaire. Patients' records were reviewed for histopathology and Radiologic findings.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The risk factors of MIBC were positive family history [Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 7.7], exposure to pesticides [AOR = 6.2], bladder stones [AOR = 5], consanguinity [AOR = 3.9], recurrent cystitis [AOR = 3.1], bilharziasis [odds ratio (OR) = 5.8] and smoking [OR = 5.3]. SCC represented 67.6% of cases with burning micturition being the presenting symptom in 73.8%.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>MIBC in Upper Egypt is usually of the SCC type (although its percentage is decreasing), occurs at a younger age and presents with burning micturition rather than hematuria. Unlike the common belief, positive family history, parents' consanguinity, exposure to pesticides and chronic cystitis seem to play now more important roles than bilharziasis and smoking in the development of this disease in this area.</p

Oncolytic and immunostimulatory efficacy of a targeted oncolytic poxvirus expressing human GM-CSF following intravenous administration in a rabbit tumor model

Targeted oncolytic poxviruses hold promise for the treatment of cancer. Arming these agents with immunostimulatory cytokines (for example, granulocyte-monocyte colony-stimulating factor; GM-CSF) can potentially increase their efficacy and/or alter their safety. However, due to species-specific differences in both human GM-CSF (hGM-CSF) activity and poxviruses immune avoidance proteins, the impact of hGM-CSF expression from an oncolytic poxvirus cannot be adequately assessed in murine or rat tumor models. We developed a rabbit tumor model to assess toxicology, pharmacodynamics, oncolytic efficacy and tumor-specific immunity of hGM-CSF expressed from a targeted oncolytic poxvirus JX-963. Recombinant purified hGM-CSF protein stimulated a leukocyte response in this model that paralleled effects of the protein in humans. JX-963 replication and targeting was highly tumor-selective after i.v. administration, and intratumoral replication led to recurrent, delayed systemic viremia. Likewise, hGM-CSF was expressed and released into the blood during JX-963 replication in tumors, but not in tumor-free animals. hGM-CSF expression from JX-963 was associated with significant increases in neutrophil, monocyte and basophil concentrations in the peripheral blood. Finally, tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) were induced by the oncolytic poxvirus, and expression of hGM-CSF from the virus enhanced both tumor-specific CTL and antitumoral efficacy. JX-963 had significant efficacy against both the primary liver tumor as well as metastases; no significant organ toxicity was noted. This model holds promise for the evaluation of immunostimulatory transgene-armed oncolytic poxviruses, and potentially other viral species