Wave propagation in axion electrodynamics

In this paper, the axion contribution to the electromagnetic wave propagation is studied. First we show how the axion electrodynamics model can be embedded into a premetric formalism of Maxwell electrodynamics. In this formalism, the axion field is not an arbitrary added Chern-Simon term of the Lagrangian, but emerges in a natural way as an irreducible part of a general constitutive tensor.We show that in order to represent the axion contribution to the wave propagation it is necessary to go beyond the geometric approximation, which is usually used in the premetric formalism. We derive a covariant dispersion relation for the axion modified electrodynamics. The wave propagation in this model is studied for an axion field with timelike, spacelike and null derivative covectors. The birefringence effect emerges in all these classes as a signal of Lorentz violation. This effect is however completely different from the ordinary birefringence appearing in classical optics and in premetric electrodynamics. The axion field does not simple double the ordinary light cone structure. In fact, it modifies the global topological structure of light cones surfaces. In CFJ-electrodynamics, such a modification results in violation of causality. In addition, the optical metrics in axion electrodynamics are not pseudo-Riemannian. In fact, for all types of the axion field, they are even non-Finslerian

Validation of disease-specific biomarkers for the early detection of bronchopulmonary dysplasia

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate and validate the improvement of current risk stratification for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) early after birth by plasma protein markers (sialic acid-binding lg-like lectin 14 (SIGLEC-14), basal cell adhesion molecule (BCAM), angiopoietin-like 3 protein (ANGPTL-3)) in extremely premature infants.METHODS AND RESULTS: Proteome screening in first-week-of-life plasma samples of n- 52 preterm infants <32 weeks gestational age (GA) on two proteomic platforms (SomaLogic (R), Olink-Proteomics (R)) confirmed three biomarkers with significant predictive power: BCAM, SIGLEC-14, and ANGPTL-3. We demonstrate high sensitivity (0.92) and specificity (0.86) under consideration of GA, show the proteins' critical contribution to the predictive power of known clinical risk factors, e.g., birth weight and GA, and predicted the duration of mechanical ventilation, oxygen supplementation, as well as neonatal intensive care stay. We confirmed significant predictive power for BPD cases when switching to a clinically applicable method (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) in an independent sample set (n = 25, p < 0.001) and demonstrated disease specificity in different cohorts of neonatal and adult lung disease.CONCLUSION: While successfully addressing typical challenges of clinical biomarker studies, we demonstrated the potential of BCAM, SIGLEC-14, and ANGPTL-3 to inform future clinical decision making in the preterm infant at risk for BPD.Analytical BioScience

Dyson-Schwinger Equations: Density, Temperature and Continuum Strong QCD

Continuum strong QCD is the application of models and continuum quantum field theory to the study of phenomena in hadronic physics, which includes; e.g., the spectrum of QCD bound states and their interactions; and the transition to, and properties of, a quark gluon plasma. We provide a contemporary perspective, couched primarily in terms of the Dyson-Schwinger equations but also making comparisons with other approaches and models. Our discourse provides a practitioners' guide to features of the Dyson-Schwinger equations [such as confinement and dynamical chiral symmetry breaking] and canvasses phenomenological applications to light meson and baryon properties in cold, sparse QCD. These provide the foundation for an extension to hot, dense QCD, which is probed via the introduction of the intensive thermodynamic variables: chemical potential and temperature. We describe order parameters whose evolution signals deconfinement and chiral symmetry restoration, and chronicle their use in demarcating the quark gluon plasma phase boundary and characterising the plasma's properties. Hadron traits change in an equilibrated plasma. We exemplify this and discuss putative signals of the effects. Finally, since plasma formation is not an equilibrium process, we discuss recent developments in kinetic theory and its application to describing the evolution from a relativistic heavy ion collision to an equilibrated quark gluon plasma.Comment: 103 Pages, LaTeX, epsfig. To appear in Progress in Particle and Nuclear Physics, Vol. 4

Ethnic comparison in takotsubo syndrome: novel insights from the International Takotsubo Registry

Background Ethnic disparities have been reported in cardiovascular disease. However, ethnic disparities in takotsubo syndrome (TTS) remain elusive. This study assessed differences in clinical characteristics between Japanese and European TTS patients and determined the impact of ethnicity on in-hospital outcomes.Methods TTS patients in Japan were enrolled from 10 hospitals and TTS patients in Europe were enrolled from 32 hospitals participating in the International Takotsubo Registry. Clinical characteristics and in-hospital outcomes were compared between Japanese and European patients.Results A total of 503 Japanese and 1670 European patients were included. Japanese patients were older (72.6 +/- 11.4 years vs. 68.0 +/- 12.0 years; p < 0.001) and more likely to be male (18.5 vs. 8.4%; p< 0.001) than European TTS patients. Physical triggering factors were more common (45.5 vs. 32.0%; p < 0.001), and emotional triggers less common (17.5 vs. 31.5%; p < 0.001), in Japanese patients than in European patients. Japanese patients were more likely to experience cardiogenic shock during the acute phase (15.5 vs. 9.0%; p < 0.001) and had a higher in-hospital mortality (8.2 vs. 3.2%; p< 0.001). However, ethnicity itself did not appear to have an impact on in-hospital mortality. Machine learning approach revealed that the presence of physical stressors was the most important prognostic factor in both Japanese and European TTS patients.Conclusion Differences in clinical characteristics and in-hospital outcomes between Japanese and European TTS patients exist. Ethnicity does not impact the outcome in TTS patients. The worse in-hospital outcome in Japanese patients, is mainly driven by the higher prevalence of physical triggers.Cardiolog

Proteomic profiling of cigarette smoke induced changes in retinal pigment epithelium cells.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a medical condition usually affecting older adults and resulting in a loss of vision in the macula, the center of the visual field. The dry form of this disease presents with atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium, resulting in the detachment of the retina and loss of photoreceptors. Cigarette smoke is one main risk factor for dry AMD and increases the risk of developing the disease by three times. In order to understand the influence of cigarette smoke on retinal pigment epithelial cells, cultured human ARPE-19 cells were treated with cigarette smoke extract for 24&nbsp;h. Using quantitative mass spectrometry more than 3000 proteins were identified and their respective abundances were compared between cigarette smoke-treated and untreated cells. Altogether 1932 proteins were quantified with at least two unique peptides, with 686 proteins found to be significantly differentially abundant with p&nbsp;&gt;&nbsp;0.05. Of these proteins the abundance of 64 proteins was at least 2-fold down-regulated after cigarette smoke treatment while 120 proteins were 2-fold up-regulated. The analysis of associated biological processes revealed an alteration of proteins involved in RNA processing and transport as well as extracellular matrix remodelling in response to cigarette smoke treatment

Omics: Potential role in early phase drug development.

Background The development of high-throughput omics technologies has nourished the hope to improve our understanding and treatment of the pathophysiology of globally increasing diseases such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease/ nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NAFLD/ NASH). These technologies provide innovative tools that have the potential to truly revolutionize patient care. Key Methods (a) Genomics, Epigenomics, Transcriptomics Technologies continue to propel the omics fields forward. However, translating research discovery into routine clinical applications use is a complex process not only from scientific prospective but also from ethical, political, and logistic points of view. Particularly the implementation of omics-based tests requires changes in fundamental processes of regulation, reimbursement, and clinical practice. Altogether, developments in the field of omics technologies hold great promise to optimize patient care and improve outcomes and eventually lead to new tests and treatments that are well integrated in routine medical care of people with obesity, type 2 diabetes and NAFLD/ NASH

Defining cytochemical markers for different cell types in the equine retina.

The major cell types in the mammalian retina are photoreceptors, amacrine, horizontal, bipolar, ganglion and Mueller glial cells. Most of the specific cell types are conserved, but cytochemical markers vary between species. The aim of our study was to characterize cytochemically distinctive markers for different cell types in the equine retina. We were able to define specific markers for equine Mueller glial cells and photoreceptor cells. Furthermore, we describe markers for large ganglion cells, horizontal and amacrine cells and a subpopulation of bipolar cells. Additionally, discrimination between the inner plexiform layer and nerve fibre layer can be achieved by expression of syntaxin and neurofilament 200 respectively