The Stochastic State Selection Method Combined with the Lanczos Approach to Eigenvalues in Quantum Spin Systems

We describe a further development of the stochastic state selection method, a new Monte Carlo method we have proposed recently to make numerical calculations in large quantum spin systems. Making recursive use of the stochastic state selection technique in the Lanczos approach, we estimate the ground state energy of the spin-1/2 quantum Heisenberg antiferromagnet on a 48-site triangular lattice. Our result for the upper bound of the ground state energy is -0.1833 +/- 0.0003 per bond. This value, being compatible with values from other work, indicates that our method is efficient in calculating energy eigenvalues of frustrated quantum spin systems on large lattices.Comment: 11 page

A constrained stochastic state selection method applied to quantum spin systems

We describe a further development of the stochastic state selection method, which is a kind of Monte Carlo method we have proposed in order to numerically study large quantum spin systems. In the stochastic state selection method we make a sampling which is simultaneous for many states. This feature enables us to modify the method so that a number of given constraints are satisfied in each sampling. In this paper we discuss this modified stochastic state selection method that will be called the constrained stochastic state selection method in distinction from the previously proposed one (the conventional stochastic state selection method) in this paper. We argue that in virtue of the constrained sampling some quantities obtained in each sampling become more reliable, i.e. their statistical fluctuations are less than those from the conventional stochastic state selection method. In numerical calculations of the spin-1/2 quantum Heisenberg antiferromagnet on a 36-site triangular lattice we explicitly show that data errors in our estimation of the ground state energy are reduced. Then we successfully evaluate several low-lying energy eigenvalues of the model on a 48-site lattice. Our results support that this system can be described by the theory based on the spontaneous symmetry breaking in the semiclassical Neel ordered antiferromagnet.Comment: 15 pgaes, 5 figure

Oral immunotherapy combined with omalizumab for high–risk cow’s milk allergy : a randomized controlled trial

We evaluated the efficacy and safety of oral immunotherapy (OIT) combined with 24 weeks of omalizumab (OMB) at inducing desensitization in children with cow’s milk allergy (CM) compared with an untreated group. The present study was a prospective randomized controlled trial. Sixteen patients (age, 6–14 years) with high IgE levels to CM were enrolled in the present study. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive OMB-OIT group or untreated group. The primary outcome was the induction of desensitization at 8 weeks after OMB was discontinued in OMB-OIT treated group and at 32 weeks after study entry. None of the 6 children in the untreated group developed desensitization to CM while all of the 10 children in the OIT-OMB treated group achieved desensitization (P < 0.001). A significantly decreased wheal diameter in response to a skin prick test using CM was found in the OMB-OIT treated group (P < 0.05). These data suggest that OIT combined with OMB using microwave heated CM may help to induce desensitization for children with high-risk CM allergy. This prospective randomized controlled trial was intended for 50 participants but was prematurely discontinued due to overwhelming superiority of OMB combined with microwave heated OIT over CM avoidance

The effect of Ndrg2 expression on astroglial activation

N-myc downstream-regulated gene 2 (Ndrg2) is a differentiation- and stress-associated molecule predominantly expressed in astrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS). To study the expression and possible role of Ndrg2 in quiescent and activated astrocytes, mice were administrated with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropypridine (MPTP), a Parkinson disease (PD)-related neurotoxin which causes both neurodegeneration and glial activation. Immunohistological analysis revealed that Ndrg2 was highly expressed in both types of astrocytes, but less so in astrocytes during the early process of activation. Ndrg2 was also expressed in astrocyte-like cells, but not in neurons, in human brains from PD and Cortico-basal degeneration (CBD) patients. In cultured astrocytes, gene silencing of Ndrg2 significantly enhanced the numbers of 5-bromo-2′-deoxy-uridine (BrdU)-incorporated and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-positive cells, and reduced the length of cell processes and the amount of F-actin. In contrast, adenovirus-mediated overexpression of Ndrg2 significantly reduced the numbers of BrdU-incorporated and PCNA-positive cells, and enhanced the amount of F-actin. Fractionation and immunocytochemical analysis further revealed that Ndrg2 was located in different cellular fractions including the cytosol and cell surface membranes. These results suggest that Ndrg2 may regulate astroglial activation through the suppression of cell proliferation and stabilization of cell morphology. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved