Femtosecond phononic coupling to both spins and charges in a room-temperature antiferromagnetic semiconductor

Spintronics is postulated on the possibility to employ the magnetic degree of freedom of electrons for computation and couple it to charges. In this view the combination of the high frequency of spin manipulations offered by antiferromagnets, with the wide tunability of the electronic properties peculiar of semiconductors, provides a promising and intriguing platform. Here we explore this scenario in α-MnTe, which is a semiconductor antiferromagnetically ordered at room temperature. Relying on a Raman mechanism and femtosecond laser pulses, we drive degenerate modes of coherent optical phonons, which modulate the chemical bonds involved in the superexchange interaction. The spectrally resolved measurements of the transient reflectivity reveal a coherent modulation of the band gap at the frequency of 5.3 THz. The detection of the rotation of the polarization, typically associated with magneto-optical effects, shows coherent and incoherent contributions. Modeling how the ionic motion induced by the phonons affects the exchange interaction in the material, we calculate the photoinduced THz spin dynamics: the results predict both a coherent and incoherent response, the latter of which is consistent with the experimental observation. Our work demonstrates that the same phonon modes modulate both the charge and magnetic degree of freedom, suggesting the resonant pumping of phonons as a viable way to link spin and charge dynamics even in nonlinear regimes

[Factors influencing development and progression of alcoholic liver disease].

Only a minority ot excessive drinkers develop cirrhosis. The main cofactors implicated in the pathophysiology of alcoholic liver disease are obesity, diabetes or the metabolic syndrome. Several genetic polymorphisms have been associated with a higher risk of alcoholic cirrhosis. Recent data indicate that gut microbiota could play a role in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease. The aim of this review is to summarize the factors that influence development and progression of alcoholic liver disease

Facteurs impliqués dans le développement et la progression de la maladie aLcoolique du foie [Factors influencing development and progression of alcoholic liver disease].

Only a minority ot excessive drinkers develop cirrhosis. The main cofactors implicated in the pathophysiology of alcoholic liver disease are obesity, diabetes or the metabolic syndrome. Several genetic polymorphisms have been associated with a higher risk of alcoholic cirrhosis. Recent data indicate that gut microbiota could play a role in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease. The aim of this review is to summarize the factors that influence development and progression of alcoholic liver disease

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor for alcoholic hepatitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) treatment has been proposed as a therapeutic option for patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis (AH). The aim of this study was to synthesise available evidence on the efficacy of G-CSF in AH. This is a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials evaluating the risk of death at 90 days and the risk of infection. Seven studies were included. Of a total of 396 patients, 336 had AH, 197 patients were treated with G-CSF, and 199 received placebo or pentoxifylline. In overall meta-analysis, G-CSF therapy was associated with a reduced risk of death at 90 days (odds ratio [OR] 0.28; 95% CI 0.09-0.88;  = 0.03). There was high heterogeneity between studies ( <0.001;  = 80%). Five studies were performed in Asia and 2 in Europe. In the subgroup analysis of studies performed in Asia, G-CSF was associated with a reduced risk of death (OR 0.15; 95% CI 0.08-0.28; <0.001; heterogeneity:  = 0.5,  = 0%). In European studies, G-CSF tended to increase mortality compared with controls, although the difference was not significant (OR 1.89; 95% CI 0.90-3.98;  = 0.09; heterogeneity:  = 0.8,  = 0%). In Asian studies, occurrence of infection was less frequent in G-CSF patients than in controls (OR 0.12; 95% CI 0.06-0.23; <0.001; heterogeneity:  = 0.7,  = 0%), whilst in European studies, this occurrence was not statistically different (OR 0.92; 95% CI 0.50-1.68;  = 0.78; heterogeneity:  = 0.5,  = 0%). In sensitivity analyses, excluding studies that included patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) other than AH, patients with less severe AH, or patients with non-response to corticosteroids, results were similar to those of overall analyses, both for mortality and occurrence of infection. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor therapy may improve the prognosis of patients with severe AH. However, owing to the high heterogeneity observed in the overall analysis caused by conflicting results between the Asian and European studies, G-CSF cannot currently be recommended for AH, particularly in Europe. Whether these differences can be explained by ethnic differences or disparities in patient selection and disease severity remains unclear. The main finding of this meta-analysis is that the use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is associated with a mortality reduction of more than 70% at 3 months amongst patients with alcoholic hepatitis (AH) compared with controls who did not receive this therapy. However, owing to the high heterogeneity observed in the overall analysis caused by conflicting results between the Asian and European studies, G-CSF cannot currently be recommended for patients with AH, particularly in Europe. Whether these differences can be explained by ethnic differences or disparities in patient selection and disease severity remains unclear

Actualités en gastroentérologie et hépatologie [Highlights in gastroenterology and hepatology 2013].

This review highlights recent advances in gastroenterology and hepatology, including new insights into the diagnosis, pathogenesis and the treatment of ulcerative colitis, of achalasia, of irritable bowel syndrome, of chronic hepatitis B and of eosinophilic esophagitis. These new developments will be summarized and discussed critically, with a particular emphasis on their potential implications for current and future clinical practice. The recent advances on treatment of chronic hepatitis C will be published in another summary this year

The search for optimal Helicobacter pylori eradication regimen: A mid 1997 update

SCOPUS: cp.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

The role of sound intensity and stop-consonant voicing on McGurk fusions and combinations

When presented with an auditory /b/ dubbed onto a visual /g/, listeners sometimes perceive a fused phoneme like /d/ while with the reverse presentation, they experience a combination such as /bg/. This phenomenon reported by McGurk and MacDonald (1976) is here investigated in French for both voiced and voiceless stop consonants, using two levels of auditory intensity (70 dB vs 40 dB). In a first experiment, audiovisual incongruent monosyllables (A/bi/ V/gi/, A/gi/ V/bi/, A/ki/ V/pi/, A/pi/ V/ki/) uttered by a man and by a woman speaker were recorded and dubbed, using an analogical technology. In a second experiment, the same syllables articulated by the man speaker were recorded and dubbed according to digital technology. In a third experiment, the same materials as in the second experiment were used but the presentation procedure of the experimental items was changed: Audiovisual incongruent trials were mixed up with congruent ones. In the three experiments, the role of voicing and of auditory intensity were investigated. Overall, combinations were much more numerous than fusions and both types of illusions tended to increase at low intensity. Voicing had a differential effect on both types of illusions. Combinations were more numerous with voiceless consonants but fusions tended to occur more often with voiced ones. The number of illusions was affected by the dubbing technique but not by the presentation procedure.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe