4,058 research outputs found
A direct D-bar reconstruction algorithm for recovering a complex conductivity in 2-D
A direct reconstruction algorithm for complex conductivities in
, where is a bounded, simply connected Lipschitz
domain in , is presented. The framework is based on the
uniqueness proof by Francini [Inverse Problems 20 2000], but equations relating
the Dirichlet-to-Neumann to the scattering transform and the exponentially
growing solutions are not present in that work, and are derived here. The
algorithm constitutes the first D-bar method for the reconstruction of
conductivities and permittivities in two dimensions. Reconstructions of
numerically simulated chest phantoms with discontinuities at the organ
boundaries are included.Comment: This is an author-created, un-copyedited version of an article
accepted for publication in [insert name of journal]. IOP Publishing Ltd is
not responsible for any errors or omissions in this version of the manuscript
or any version derived from it. The Version of Record is available online at
10.1088/0266-5611/28/9/09500
Molecular and culture-based diagnosis of Clostridium difficile isolates from Côte d'Ivoire after prolonged storage at disrupted cold chain conditions
Background Although Clostridium difficile is a major cause of diarrhoea, its epidemiology in tropical settings is poorly understood. Strain characterisation requires work-up in specialised laboratories, often after prolonged storage without properly maintained cold chain. Methods We screened 298 human faecal samples from Côte d'Ivoire using a rapid test for C. difficile glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH). GDH-positive samples were aerobically stored at disrupted cold chain conditions (mean duration: 11 days) before transfer to a reference laboratory for anaerobic culture, susceptibility testing, PCR assays and ribotyping. Results Sixteen samples (5.4%) had a positive GDH screening test. C. difficile infection was confirmed in six specimens by culture and PCR, while no nucleic acids of C. difficile were detected in the culture-negative samples. Further analysis of stool samples harbouring toxigenic C. difficile strains confirmed that both GDH and toxins remained detectable for at least 28 days, regardless of storage conditions (aerobic storage at 4°C or 20°C). Conclusions Storage conditions only minimally affect recovery of C. difficile and its toxins in stool culture. A rapid GDH screening test and subsequent transfer of GDH-positive stool samples to reference laboratories for in-depth characterisation may improve our understanding of the epidemiology of C. difficile in the tropic
Coronary artery dominance and the risk of adverse clinical events following percutaneous coronary intervention: insights from the prospective, randomised TWENTE trial
Aims: To investigate the prognostic value of coronary dominance for various adverse clinical events following the implantation of drug-eluting stents. Methods and results: We assessed two-year follow-up data of 1,387 patients from the randomised TWENTE trial. Based on the origin of the posterior descending coronary artery, coronary circulation was categorised into left and non-left dominance (i.e., right and balanced). Target vessel-related myocardial infarction (MI) was defined according to the updated Academic Research Consortium (ARC) definition (2x upper reference limit of creatine kinase [CK], confirmed by CK-MB elevation), and periprocedural MI (PMI) as MI ≤48 hours following PCI. One hundred and thirty-six patients (9.8%) had left and 1,251 (90.2%) non-left dominance. Target lesions were more frequently located in dominant arteries (p<0.005). Left dominance was associated with more severe calcifications (p=0.006) and more bifurcation lesions (p=0.031). Non-left dominance tended to be less frequent in men (p=0.09). Left coronary dominance was associated with more target vessel-related MI (14 [10.3%] vs. 62 [5.0%], p=0.009). Left dominance independently predicted PMI (adjusted HR 2.19, 95% CI: 1.15-4.15, p=0.017), while no difference in other clinical endpoints was observed between dominance groups. Conclusions: In the population of the TWENTE trial, we observed a higher incidence of periprocedural myocardial infarction in patients who had left coronary dominance. - See more at: http://www.pcronline.com/eurointervention/ahead_of_print/201402-11/#sthash.p3Zkzx7X.dp
Cobalt-Catalyzed Hydrogenations via Olefin Cobaltate and Hydride Intermediates
Redox noninnocent ligands are a promising tool to moderate electron transfer processes within base-metal catalysts. This report introduces bis(imino)acenaphthene (BIAN) cobaltate complexes as hydrogenation catalysts. Sterically hindered trisubstituted alkenes, imines, and quinolines underwent clean hydrogenation under mild conditions (2-10 bar, 20-80 degrees C) by use of the stable catalyst precursor [((Dipp)BIAN)CoBr2] and the cocatalyst LiEt3BH. Mechanistic studies support a homogeneous catalysis pathway involving alkene and hydrido cobaltates as active catalyst species. Furthermore, considerable reaction acceleration by alkali cations and Lewis acids was observed. The dinuclear hydridocobaltate anion with bridging hydride ligands was isolated and fully characterized
Field transformations and simple models illustrating the impossibility of measuring off-shell effects
In the context of simple models illustrating field transformations in
Lagrangian field theories we discuss the impossibility of measuring off-shell
effects in nucleon-nucleon bremsstrahlung, Compton scattering, and related
processes. To that end we introduce a simple phenomenological Lagrangian
describing nucleon-nucleon bremsstrahlung and perform an appropriate change of
variables leading to different off-shell behavior in the nucleon-nucleon
amplitude as well as the photon-nucleon vertex. As a result we obtain a class
of equivalent Lagrangians, generating identical S-matrix elements, of which the
original Lagrangian is but one representative. We make use of this property in
order to show that what appears as an off-shell effect in an S-matrix element
for one Lagrangian may originate in a contact term from an equivalent
Lagrangian. By explicit calculation we demonstrate for the case of
nucleon-nucleon bremsstrahlung as well as nucleon Compton scattering the
equivalence of observables from which we conclude that off-shell effects cannot
in any unambiguous way be extracted from an S-matrix element. Finally, we also
discuss some implications of introducing off-shell effects on a
phenomenological basis, resulting from the requirement that the description of
one process be consistent with that of other processes described by the same
Lagrangian.Comment: 19 pages, Latex, using RevTe
Lattice dependence of saturated ferromagnetism in the Hubbard model
We investigate the instability of the saturated ferromagnetic ground state
(Nagaoka state) in the Hubbard model on various lattices in dimensions d=2 and
d=3. A variational resolvent approach is developed for the Nagaoka instability
both for U = infinity and for U < infinity which can easily be evaluated in the
thermodynamic limit on all common lattices. Our results significantly improve
former variational bounds for a possible Nagaoka regime in the ground state
phase diagram of the Hubbard model. We show that a pronounced particle-hole
asymmetry in the density of states and a diverging density of states at the
lower band edge are the most important features in order to stabilize Nagaoka
ferromagnetism, particularly in the low density limit.Comment: Revtex, 18 pages with 18 figures, 7 pages appendices, section on bcc
lattice adde
Accurate ab initio spin densities
We present an approach for the calculation of spin density distributions for
molecules that require very large active spaces for a qualitatively correct
description of their electronic structure. Our approach is based on the
density-matrix renormalization group (DMRG) algorithm to calculate the spin
density matrix elements as basic quantity for the spatially resolved spin
density distribution. The spin density matrix elements are directly determined
from the second-quantized elementary operators optimized by the DMRG algorithm.
As an analytic convergence criterion for the spin density distribution, we
employ our recently developed sampling-reconstruction scheme [J. Chem. Phys.
2011, 134, 224101] to build an accurate complete-active-space
configuration-interaction (CASCI) wave function from the optimized matrix
product states. The spin density matrix elements can then also be determined as
an expectation value employing the reconstructed wave function expansion.
Furthermore, the explicit reconstruction of a CASCI-type wave function provides
insights into chemically interesting features of the molecule under study such
as the distribution of - and -electrons in terms of Slater
determinants, CI coefficients, and natural orbitals. The methodology is applied
to an iron nitrosyl complex which we have identified as a challenging system
for standard approaches [J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2011, 7, 2740].Comment: 37 pages, 13 figure
Combination of bevacizumab and 2-weekly pegylated liposomal doxorubicin as first-line therapy for locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer. A multicenter, single-arm phase II trial (SAKK 24/06)
Background: Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) and bevacizumab are active agents in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer (MBC). We carried out a multicenter, single-arm phase II trial to evaluate the toxicity and efficacy of PLD and bevacizumab as first-line treatment in MBC patients. Methods: Bevacizumab (10 mg/kg) and PLD (20 mg/m2) were infused on days 1 and 15 of a 4-week cycle for a maximum of six cycles. Thereafter, bevacizumab monotherapy was continued at the same dose until progression or toxicity. The primary objective was safety and tolerability, and the secondary objective was to evaluate efficacy of the combination. Results: Thirty-nine of 43 patients were assessable for the primary end point. Eighteen of 39 patients (46%, 95% confidence interval 30% to 63%) had a grade 3 toxicity. Sixteen (41%) had grade 3 palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia, one had grade 3 mucositis, and one severe cardiotoxicity. Secondary end point of overall response rate among 43 assessable patients was 21%. Conclusions: In this nonrandomized single-arm trial, the combination of bimonthly PLD and bevacizumab in locally recurrent and MBC patients demonstrated higher than anticipated toxicity while exhibiting only modest activity. Based on these results, we would not consider this combination for further investigation in this settin
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