Ground-state fidelity of Luttinger liquids: A wave functional approach

We use a wave functional approach to calculate the fidelity of ground states in the Luttinger liquid universality class of one-dimensional gapless quantum many-body systems. The ground-state wave functionals are discussed using both the Schrodinger (functional differential equation) formulation and a path integral formulation. The fidelity between Luttinger liquids with Luttinger parameters K and K' is found to decay exponentially with system size, and to obey the symmetry F(K,K')=F(1/K,1/K') as a consequence of a duality in the bosonization description of Luttinger liquids.Comment: 13 pages, IOP single-column format. Sec. 3 expanded with discussion of short-distance cut-off. Some typos corrected. Ref. 44 in v2 is now footnote 2 (moved by copy editor). Published versio

Radio Astronomy

Contains reports on isx research projects.National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Langley Research Center (Contract NAS1-10693)National Science Foundation (Grant GP-21348)National Science Foundation (Grant GP-14589)California Institute of Technology Contract 952568Joint Services Electronics Programs (U. S. Army, U. S. Navy, and U. S. Air Force) under Contract DAAB07-71-C-030

High polygenic risk score for exceptional longevity is associated with a healthy metabolic profile

Healthy metabolic measures in humans are associated with longevity. Dysregulation leads to metabolic syndrome (MetS) and negative health outcomes. Recent exceptional longevity (EL) genome wide association studies have facilitated estimation of an individual's polygenic risk score (PRS) for EL. We tested the hypothesis that individuals with high ELPRS have a low prevalence of MetS. Participants were from five cohorts of middle-aged to older adults. The primary analyses were performed in the UK Biobank (UKBB) (n = 407,800, 40-69 years). Replication analyses were undertaken using three Australian studies: Hunter Community Study (n = 2122, 55-85 years), Older Australian Twins Study (n = 539, 65-90 years) and Sydney Memory and Ageing Study (n = 925, 70-90 years), as well as the Swedish Gothenburg H70 Birth Cohort Studies (n = 2273, 70-93 years). MetS was defined using established criteria. Regressions and meta-analyses were performed with the ELPRS and MetS and its components. Generally, MetS prevalence (22-30%) was higher in the older cohorts. In the UKBB, high EL polygenic risk was associated with lower MetS prevalence (OR = 0.94, p = 1.84 × 10-42) and its components (p < 2.30 × 10-8). Meta-analyses of the replication cohorts showed nominal associations with MetS (p = 0.028) and 3 MetS components (p < 0.05). This work suggests individuals with a high polygenic risk for EL have a healthy metabolic profile promoting longevity

High polygenic risk score for exceptional longevity is associated with a healthy metabolic profile

Healthy metabolic measures in humans are associated with longevity. Dysregulation leads to metabolic syndrome (MetS) and negative health outcomes. Recent exceptional longevity (EL) genome wide association studies have facilitated estimation of an individual’s polygenic risk score (PRS) for EL. We tested the hypothesis that individuals with high ELPRS have a low prevalence of MetS. Participants were from five cohorts of middle-aged to older adults. The primary analyses were performed in the UK Biobank (UKBB) (n = 407,800, 40–69 years). Replication analyses were undertaken using three Australian studies: Hunter Community Study (n = 2122, 55–85 years), Older Australian Twins Study (n = 539, 65–90 years) and Sydney Memory and Ageing Study (n = 925, 70–90 years), as well as the Swedish Gothenburg H70 Birth Cohort Studies (n = 2273, 70–93 years). MetS was defined using established criteria. Regressions and meta-analyses were performed with the ELPRS and MetS and its components. Generally, MetS prevalence (22–30%) was higher in the older cohorts. In the UKBB, high EL polygenic risk was associated with lower MetS prevalence (OR = 0.94, p = 1.84 × 10–42) and its components (p < 2.30 × 10–8). Meta-analyses of the replication cohorts showed nominal associations with MetS (p = 0.028) and 3 MetS components (p < 0.05). This work suggests individuals with a high polygenic risk for EL have a healthy metabolic profile promoting longevity

Cerebellar Integrity in the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - Frontotemporal Dementia Continuum

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) are multisystem neurodegenerative disorders that manifest overlapping cognitive, neuropsychiatric and motor features. The cerebellum has long been known to be crucial for intact motor function although emerging evidence over the past decade has attributed cognitive and neuropsychiatric processes to this structure. The current study set out i) to establish the integrity of cerebellar subregions in the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia spectrum (ALS-bvFTD) and ii) determine whether specific cerebellar atrophy regions are associated with cognitive, neuropsychiatric and motor symptoms in the patients. Seventy-eight patients diagnosed with ALS, ALS-bvFTD, behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), most without C9ORF72 gene abnormalities, and healthy controls were investigated. Participants underwent cognitive, neuropsychiatric and functional evaluation as well as structural imaging using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to examine the grey matter subregions of the cerebellar lobules, vermis and crus. VBM analyses revealed: i) significant grey matter atrophy in the cerebellum across the whole ALS-bvFTD continuum; ii) atrophy predominantly of the superior cerebellum and crus in bvFTD patients, atrophy of the inferior cerebellum and vermis in ALS patients, while ALS-bvFTD patients had both patterns of atrophy. Post-hoc covariance analyses revealed that cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms were particularly associated with atrophy of the crus and superior lobule, while motor symptoms were more associated with atrophy of the inferior lobules. Taken together, these findings indicate an important role of the cerebellum in the ALS-bvFTD disease spectrum, with all three clinical phenotypes demonstrating specific patterns of subregional atrophy that associated with different symptomology

Odin observations of H2O in the Galactic Centre

The Odin satellite has been used to detect emission and absorption in the 557-GHz H2O line in the Galactic Centre towards the Sgr A* Circumnuclear Disk (CND), and the Sgr A +20 km/s and +50 km/s molecular clouds. Strong broad H2O emission lines have been detected in all three objects. Narrow H2O absorption lines are present at all three positions and originate along the lines of sight in the 3-kpc Spiral Arm, the -30 km/s Spiral Arm and the Local Sgr Spiral Arm. Broad H2O absorption lines near -130 km/s are also observed, originating in the Expanding Molecular Ring. A new molecular feature (the ``High Positive Velocity Gas'' - HPVG) has been identified in the positive velocity range of ~ +120 to +220 km/s, seen definitely in absorption against the stronger dust continuum emission from the +20 km/s and +50 km/s clouds and possibly in emission towards the position of Sgr A* CND. The 548-GHz H2_18O isotope line towards the CND is not detected at the 0.02 K (rms) level.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, accepted by A&A, special Odin Letters issu

Impact of anaemia on acute stroke outcomes depends on the type of anaemia: Evidence from a UK stroke register

Background: Previous research has demonstrated an association between anaemia and poor outcomes in acute stroke. This study aimed to assess the impact of anaemia on stroke by anaemia subtype. Methods: Data from a prospective UK Regional Stroke Register were used to assess the association between hypochromic microcytic and normochromic normocytic anaemia on inpatient-mortality, length of stay (LOS) and discharge modified Rankin scale (mRS). Analysis was stratified by stroke subtypes and multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for potential confounders, was used to quantify this association. Patients who were not anaemic were the reference category. Results: A total of 8167 stroke patients (admitted between 2003 and 2015) were included, mean age (SD) 77.39 ± 11.90 years. Of these, 3.4% (n = 281) had hypochromic microcytic anaemia and 15.5% (n = 1262) had normochromic normocytic anaemia on admission. Normochromic normocytic anaemia was associated with increased odds of in-patient mortality OR 1.48 (1.24–1.77), 90-day mortality OR 1.63 (1.38–1.92), longer LOS OR 1.21 (1.06–1.40), defined as > 7 days, and severe disability defined as discharge mRS ≥ 3 OR 1.31 (1.06–1.63), in patients with ischaemic stroke. Hypochromic microcytic anaemia was associated with 90-day mortality OR 1.90 (1.40–2.58) and a longer LOS OR 1.57 (1.20–2.05) in patients with ischaemic stroke. Conclusions: Hypochromic microcytic and normochromic normocytic anaemia are associated with differing outcomes in terms of inpatient mortality and post stroke disability. While it is unclear if anaemia per se or another underlying cause is responsible for adverse outcomes, subtype of anaemia appears to be relevant in stroke prognosis

Plasma Dynamics

Contains reports on ten research projects split into two sections.National Science Foundation (Grant ENG77-00340)U.S. Department of Energy (Contract EY-76-S-02-2766)U.S. Air Force - Office of Scientific Research (Grant AFOSR-77-3143)U.S. Department of Energy (Contract ET-78-C-01-3019)U.S. Department of Energy (Contract ET-78-S-02-4681)U.S. Department of Energy (Contract ET-78-S-02-4682)U.S. Department of Energy (Grant EG-77-G-01-4107)U.S. Department of Energy (Contract ET-78-S-02-4714)U.S. Department of Energy (Contract ET-78-S-02-4886)U.S. Department of Energy (Contract ET-78-S-02-4690

Plasma Dynamics

Contains reports on ten research projects divided into two sections.National Science Foundation (Grant ENG79-07047)U.S. Air Force - Office of Scientific Research (Grant AFOSR-77-3143)U.S. Department of Energy (Contract DE-ACO2-78ET51013)U.S. Department of Energy (Contract DE-ASO2-78ET53073.AO02)U.S. Department of Energy (Contract ET-78-S-02-4682)U.S. Department of Energy (Contract DE-AS02-78ET53074)U.S. Department of Energy (Contract DE-ASO2-78ET53050)U.S. Department of Energy (Contract DE-AS02-78ET51002)U.S. Department of Energy (Contract DE-ASO2-78ET53076