275 research outputs found
Variational Monte Carlo simulations using tensor-product projected states
We propose an efficient numerical method, which combines the advantages of
recently developed tensor-network based methods and standard trial wave
functions, to study the ground state properties of quantum many-body systems.
In this approach, we apply a projector in the form of a tensor-product operator
to an input wave function, such as a Jastrow-type or Hartree-Fock wave
function, and optimize the tensor elements via variational Monte Carlo. The
entanglement already contained in the input wave function can considerably
reduce the bond dimensions compared to the regular tensor-product state
representation. In particular, this allows us to also represent states that do
not obey the area law of entanglement entropy. In addition, for fermionic
systems, the fermion sign structure can be encoded in the input wave function.
We show that the optimized states provide good approximations of the
ground-state energy and correlation functions in the cases of two-dimensional
bosonic and fermonic systems.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, published versio
The significance of seizures and other predictive factors during the acute illness for the long-term outcome after bacterial meningitis
SummaryBackgroundSeizures are important neurological complications of bacterial meningitis, but no information about its epidemiology and the outcomes of seizures after community-acquired bacterial meningitis (CABM) in an adult population have been reported.AimsTo determine the frequency, clinical relevance, subtypes of seizures during the acute phase of bacterial meningitis, and the long-term outcomes of seizure complicating adult CABM.MethodsIn this 12-year retrospective study, 117 adult patients were identified with culture-proven CABM. A comparison was made between the clinical data of the patients with and without seizures during hospitalization.ResultsThirty-one patients had seizures during CABM, accounting for 27% (31/117) of the episodes. The time interval between the onset of bacterial meningitis and the seizures was 1–21 days (mean, 4 days). Furthermore, 80% (25/31) of the episodes occurred within 24h of presentation. Ten patients who had seizures progressed to status epilepticus. At follow-up after completing treatment, 10 patients completely recovered and were seizure-free, 19 died of meningitis during the acute stage and the other two progressed to chronic epilepsy.ConclusionA log-rank test demonstrated that the long-term outcome of adult CABM with acute seizures produced worse outcomes than for those who had no seizures, though no difference was noted between focal and generalized seizures. None of our patients without seizures in the acute phase of bacterial meningitis developed late seizures during the follow-up periods. Poor outcome in this study may attribute to neurological complications such as seizure, hydrocephalus, infection itself, or a combination of complications
First successful production of adult corals derived from cryopreserved larvae
Coral reefs worldwide are declining due to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases, which, combined with local anthropogenic pressure, are exacerbating unprecedented mass coral bleaching. For corals to survive, restoring coral reefs through cryopreservation is crucial. The aim of this study was to vitrify and laser-warm Stylophora pistillata planulae to allow for feasible settlement, post-settlement survival, and the production of adult corals. The no-observed-effect concentrations were used to determine the best cryoprotective agents for S. pistillata. The larvae were then subjected to cooling and nanolaser warming (300 V, 10 ms pulse width, 2 mm beam diameter) by using two vitrification solutions (VSs; VS1: 2 M dimethyl sulfoxide and 1 M ethylene glycol [EG]; VS2: 2 M propylene glycol and 1 M EG) and gold nanoparticles. The results revealed that VS1-treated larvae had a higher vitrification rate (65%), swimming rate (23.1%), settlement rate (11.54%), and post settlement survival rate (11.54%) than those treated with VS2. Seasonal variations also affected the cryopreservation of the planulae; VS1 was more favorable for the planulae in spring than in fall. Although laser-warmed larvae developed slower morphologically than their controlled counterparts, the production of cryopreserved adult S. pistillata corals was achieved. The proposed technique can improve the cryopreservation of corals and advance efforts to protect endangered coral species
SARS Exposure and Emergency Department Workers
Of 193 emergency department workers exposed to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), 9 (4.7%) were infected. Pneumonia developed in six workers, and assays showed anti-SARS immunoglobulin (Ig) M and IgG. The other three workers were IgM-positive and had lower IgG titers; in two, mild illness developed, and one remained asymptomatic
Co-Overexpression of Cyclooxygenase-2 and Microsomal Prostaglandin E Synthase-1 Adversely Affects the Postoperative Survival in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
IntroductionCyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and microsomal prostaglandin E synthase (mPGES)-1 have been found to be overexpressed in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of this study was to investigate the expression profiles of COX-2 and mPGES-1 and their correlation with the clinical characteristics and survival outcomes in patients with resected NSCLC.Methods/ResultsSeventy-nine paired adjacent normal-tumor matched samples were prospectively procured from patients undergoing surgery for NSCLC. The protein levels of COX-2 and mPGES-1 were assessed by Western blot analysis. Overexpression in the tumor sample was defined as more than twofold increase in protein expression compared with the corresponding adjacent normal tissue. Co-overexpression of COX-2 and mPGES-1 were further confirmed by immunohistochemistry. COX-2 was overexpressed in 58% and mPGES-1 in 70% of the tumor samples (p < 0.0001). Co-overexpression of mPGES-1 and COX-2 was noted in 43%, and they were unrelated to each other (p = 0.232). Co-overexpression of both proteins was significantly associated with less tumor differentiation (p = 0.046), tumor size larger than 5 cm (p = 0.038), and worse survival status during the follow-up (p = 0.036). Multivariate analysis showed that in addition to overall stage, co-overexpression of both proteins adversely affected the overall (hazard ratio, 2.40; p = 0.045) and disease-free survivals (hazard ratio, 2.27; p = 0.029).ConclusionsOverexpression of either COX-2 or mPGES-1 is common but unrelated in NSCLC. Co-overexpression of both COX-2 and mPGES-1 adversely affects postoperative overall and disease-free survivals
Redactable Signatures for Signed CDA Documents
[[abstract]]The Clinical Document Architecture, introduced
by Health Level Seven, is a XML-based standard intending
to specify the encoding, structure, and semantics of clinical
documents for exchange. Since the clinical document is in
XML form, its authenticity and integrity could be guaranteed
by the use of the XML signature published by W3C.
While a clinical document wants to conceal some personal
or private information, the document needs to be redacted.
It makes the signed signature of the original clinical
document not be verified. The redactable signature is thus
proposed to enable verification for the redacted document.
Only a little research does the implementation of the
redactable signature, and there still not exists an appropriate
scheme for the clinical document. This paper will investigate
the existing web-technologies and find a compact and
applicable model to implement a suitable redactable
signature for the clinical document viewer.[[notice]]補正完畢[[incitationindex]]SC
Statin pre-treatment is associated with lower platelet activity and favorable outcome in patients with acute non-cardio-embolic ischemic stroke
Dynamic Transcript Profiling of Candida Albicans Infection in Zebrafish: a Pathogen-Host Interaction Study
Candida albicans is responsible for a number of life-threatening infections
and causes considerable morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients.
Previous studies of C. albicans pathogenesis have suggested several steps must
occur before virulent infection, including early adhesion, invasion, and late
tissue damage. However, the mechanism that triggers C. albicans transformation
from yeast to hyphae form during infection has yet to be fully elucidated. This
study used a systems biology approach to investigate C. albicans infection in
zebrafish. The surviving fish were sampled at different post-infection time
points to obtain time-lapsed, genome-wide transcriptomic data from both
organisms, which were accompanied with in sync histological analyses. Principal
component analysis (PCA) was used to analyze the dynamic gene expression
profiles of significant variations in both C. albicans and zebrafish. The
results categorized C. albicans infection into three progressing phases:
adhesion, invasion, and damage. Such findings were highly supported by the
corresponding histological analysis. Furthermore, the dynamic interspecies
transcript profiling revealed that C. albicans activated its filamentous
formation during invasion and the iron scavenging functions during the damage
phases, whereas zebrafish ceased its iron homeostasis function following
massive hemorrhage during the later stages of infection. This was followed by
massive hemorrhaging toward the end stage of infection. Most of the immune
related genes were expressed as the infection progressed from invasion to the
damage phase. Such global, inter-species evidence of virulence-immune and iron
competition dynamics during C. albicans infection could be crucial in
understanding control fungal pathogenesis
Revealing the Anti-Tumor Effect of Artificial miRNA p-27-5p on Human Breast Carcinoma Cell Line T-47D
microRNAs (miRNAs) cause mRNA degradation or translation suppression of their target genes. Previous studies have found direct involvement of miRNAs in cancer initiation and progression. Artificial miRNAs, designed to target single or multiple genes of interest, provide a new therapeutic strategy for cancer. This study investigates the anti-tumor effect of a novel artificial miRNA, miR P-27-5p, on breast cancer. In this study, we reveal that miR P-27-5p downregulates the differential gene expressions associated with the protein modification process and regulation of cell cycle in T-47D cells. Introduction of this novel artificial miRNA, miR P-27-5p, into breast cell lines inhibits cell proliferation and induces the first “gap” phase (G1) cell cycle arrest in cancer cell lines but does not affect normal breast cells. We further show that miR P-27-5p targets the 3′-untranslated mRNA region (3′-UTR) of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) and reduces both the mRNA and protein level of CDK4, which in turn, interferes with phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein (RB1). Overall, our data suggest that the effects of miR p-27-5p on cell proliferation and G1 cell cycle arrest are through the downregulation of CDK4 and the suppression of RB1 phosphorylation. This study opens avenues for future therapies targeting breast cancer
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