The reactions \gwl\ and \gzl\ in SU(N)SU(N) strongly interacting theories

Building on recent phenomenology of \gpi, we discuss the expectation for two photon production of longitudinal gauge boson pairs in $SU(N)$ technicolor theories. The treatment involves a matching of dispersive techniques with the methodology of chiral perturbation theory.Comment: 25 LaTeX pages (incl. 10 figures on 7 pages, also in plain LaTeX, also available from the authors in PostScript form via regular E_mail), UMHEP-39

CD28 down-regulation on circulating CD4 T-cells is associated with poor prognoses of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Background: Although the etiology of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) remains perplexing, adaptive immune activation is evident among many afflicted patients. Repeated cycles of antigen-induced proliferation cause T-cells to lose surface expression of CD28, and we hypothesized this process might also occur in IPF. Methodology/Principal Findings: Peripheral blood CD4 T-cells from 89 IPF patients were analyzed by flow cytometry and cytokine multiplex assays, and correlated with clinical events. In comparison to autologous CD4 +CD28+cells, the unusual CD4+CD28 null lymphocytes seen in many IPF patients had discordant expressions of activation markers, more frequently produced cytotoxic mediators perforin (2.4±0.8% vs. 60.0±7.4%, p<0.0001) and granzyme B (4.5±2.8% vs.74.9±6.5%, p<0.0001), produced greater amounts of many pro-inflammatory cytokines, and less frequently expressed the regulatory T-cell marker FoxP3 (12.9±1.1% vs. 3.3±0.6% p<0.0001). Infiltration of CD4+CD28null T-cells in IPF lungs was confirmed by confocal microscopy. Interval changes of CD28 expression among subjects who had replicate studies were correlated with conterminous changes of their forced vital capacities (rs = 0.49, p = 0.012). Most importantly, one-year freedom from major adverse clinical events (either death or lung transplantation) was 56±6% among 78 IPF patients with CD4 +CD28+/CD4total≥82%, compared to 9±9% among those with more extensive CD28 down-regulation (CD4+CD28 +/CD4total<82%) (p = 0.0004). The odds ratio for major adverse events among those with the most extensive CD28 down-regulation was 13.0, with 95% confidence intervals 1.6-111.1. Conclusions/Significance: Marked down-regulation of CD28 on circulating CD4 T-cells, a result of repeated antigen-driven proliferations, is associated with poor outcomes in IPF patients. The CD4+CD28null cells of these patients have potentially enhanced pathogenic characteristics, including increased productions of cytotoxic mediators and pro-inflammatory cytokines. These findings show proliferative T-cell responses to antigen(s) resulting in CD28 down-regulation are associated with progression and manifestations of IPF, and suggest assays of circulating CD4 T-cells may identify patients at greatest risk for clinical deterioration. © 2010 Gilani et al

Study of gamma gamma -> W_L W_L and gamma gamma -> Z_L Z_L reactions with Chiral Lagrangians

We analyze the effects of a strongly interacting symmetry breaking sector of the Standard Model in $\gamma \gamma -> W_L^+ W_L^-$ and $\gamma \gamma -> Z_L Z_L$ reactions at TeV energies by using Chiral Lagrangians and Chiral Perturbation Theory. We find significant deviations from the Standard Model predictions for the differential cross sections at high invariant mass of the gauge bosons pair. We study the experimental signals that could be obtained in a high energy and high luminosity dedicated $\gamma\gamma$ collider and estimate the sensitivity that such experiments could reach to the values of the effective lagrangian parameters.Comment: 14 pages, LaTeX, 4 figures (not included), FTUAM92/2

Effect of isovector-scalar meson on neutron star matter in strong magnetic fields

We study the effects of isovector-scalar meson $\delta$ on the equation of state (EOS) of neutron star matter in strong magnetic fields. The EOS of neutron-star matter and nucleon effective masses are calculated in the framework of Lagrangian field theory, which is solved within the mean-field approximation. From the numerical results one can find that the $\delta$-field leads to a remarkable splitting of proton and neutron effective masses. The strength of $\delta$-field decreases with the increasing of the magnetic field and is little at ultrastrong field. The proton effective mass is highly influenced by magnetic fields, while the effect of magnetic fields on the neutron effective mass is negligible. The EOS turns out to be stiffer at $B < 10^{15}$G but becomes softer at stronger magnetic field after including the $\delta$-field. The AMM terms can affect the system merely at ultrastrong magnetic field($B > 10^{19}$G). In the range of $10^{15}$ G -- $10^{18}$ G the properties of neutron-star matter are found to be similar with those without magnetic fields.Comment: 26 pages, 9 figure

Balance rehabilitation using custom-made Wii Balance Board exercises: clinical effectiveness and maintenance of gains in acquired brain injury population

[EN] Balance disorders are a common impairment after an acquired brain injury (ABI). Neurorehabilitation programs focus on the rehabilitation of balance skills to enhance patients’ self-dependency. The Wii Balance Board has been adopted with rehabilitative purposes due to its low cost and widespread battery of exercises. However, this entertainment system is oriented to healthy people and cannot easily adapt to the patient’s motor (and possible cognitive) deficits. The objective of this study was two-fold: a) to study whether custom-made rehabilitative exercises on a force platform could improve the balance condition of ABI patients compared with conventional physical therapy programs; and b) to study if their clinical effects persisted in absence of the virtual training. To prove the first hypothesis, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) was carried out involving 17 ABI participants (control group: 8 participants; experimental group: 9 participants). To prove the second hypothesis a follow-up study (FUS) was carried out involving 7 ABI participants. The participants of both studies underwent 20 1-h sessions, from 3 to 5 sessions per week. The participants were assessed at the beginning and at the end of the treatment (RCT, FUS) and 1 month after the therapy (FUS). Significant improvements were detected in some scales for those participants who underwent the virtual therapy (RCT). The effects persisted over time (FUS). Balance training through low-cost force platforms and custom-made exercises can provide lasting clinical benefits to ABI chronic patients when compared to conventional treatmentsThis study was funded in part by Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia Spain, Projects Consolider-C (SEJ2006-14301/PSIC), “CIBER of Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition, an initiative of ISCIII”, and the Excellence Research Program PROMETEO (Generalitat Valenciana. Conselleria de Educación, 2008-157)Llorens Rodríguez, R.; Albiol Pérez, S.; Gil Gómez, JA.; Alcañiz Raya, ML.; Colomer Font, C.; Noé Sebastián, E. (2014). Balance rehabilitation using custom-made Wii Balance Board exercises: clinical effectiveness and maintenance of gains in acquired brain injury population. International Journal on Disability and Human Development. 13(3):327-332. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijdhd-2014-0323S32733213

The Electromagnetic Mass Differences of Pions and Kaons

We use the Cottingham method to calculate the pion and kaon electromagnetic mass differences with as few model dependent inputs as possible. The constraints of chiral symmetry at low energy, QCD at high energy and experimental data in between are used in the dispersion relation. We find excellent agreement with experiment for the pion mass difference. The kaon mass difference exhibits a strong violation of the lowest order prediction of Dashen's theorem, in qualitative agreement with several other recent calculations.Comment: 40 pages, Latex, needs axodraw. and psfig. macros, 4 figure

Recommendations for a core outcome set for measuring standing balance in adult populations: a consensus-based approach

Standing balance is imperative for mobility and avoiding falls. Use of an excessive number of standing balance measures has limited the synthesis of balance intervention data and hampered consistent clinical practice.To develop recommendations for a core outcome set (COS) of standing balance measures for research and practice among adults.A combination of scoping reviews, literature appraisal, anonymous voting and face-to-face meetings with fourteen invited experts from a range of disciplines with international recognition in balance measurement and falls prevention. Consensus was sought over three rounds using pre-established criteria.The scoping review identified 56 existing standing balance measures validated in adult populations with evidence of use in the past five years, and these were considered for inclusion in the COS.Fifteen measures were excluded after the first round of scoring and a further 36 after round two. Five measures were considered in round three. Two measures reached consensus for recommendation, and the expert panel recommended that at a minimum, either the Berg Balance Scale or Mini Balance Evaluation Systems Test be used when measuring standing balance in adult populations.Inclusion of two measures in the COS may increase the feasibility of potential uptake, but poses challenges for data synthesis. Adoption of the standing balance COS does not constitute a comprehensive balance assessment for any population, and users should include additional validated measures as appropriate.The absence of a gold standard for measuring standing balance has contributed to the proliferation of outcome measures. These recommendations represent an important first step towards greater standardization in the assessment and measurement of this critical skill and will inform clinical research and practice internationally

The influence of wrist posture, grip type, and grip force on median nerve shape and cross‐sectional area

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/136715/1/ca22871_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/136715/2/ca22871.pd

Extracorporeal life support in pediatric cardiac dysfunction

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Low cardiac output (LCO) after corrective surgery remains a serious complication in pediatric congenital heart diseases (CHD). In the case of refractory LCO, extra corporeal life support (ECLS) extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) or ventricle assist devices (VAD) is the final therapeutic option. In the present study we have reviewed the outcomes of pediatric patients after corrective surgery necessitating ECLS and compared outcomes with pediatric patients necessitating ECLS because of dilatated cardiomyopathy (DCM).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A retrospective single-centre cohort study was evaluated in pediatric patients, between 1991 and 2008, that required ECLS. A total of 48 patients received ECLS, of which 23 were male and 25 female. The indications for ECLS included CHD in 32 patients and DCM in 16 patients.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The mean age was 1.2 ± 3.9 years for CHD patients and 10.4 ± 5.8 years for DCM patients. Twenty-six patients received ECMO and 22 patients received VAD. A total of 15 patients out of 48 survived, 8 were discharged after myocardial recovery and 7 were discharged after successful heart transplantation. The overall mortality in patients with extracorporeal life support was 68%.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Although the use of ECLS shows a significantly high mortality rate it remains the ultimate chance for children. For better results, ECLS should be initiated in the operating room or shortly thereafter. Bridge to heart transplantation should be considered if there is no improvement in cardiac function to avoid irreversible multiorgan failure (MFO).</p