Are Probiotics Effective in Reducing Symptoms of Atopic Dermatitis?

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not probiotics are effective in reducing symptoms of atopic dermatitis. STUDY DESIGN: Selective EBM review of three randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials published after 2009, all English language. DATA SOURCES: All three studies were published in peer-reviewed journals found on PubMed and selected based on relevance to the proposed clinical question. OUTCOMES MEASURED: The main outcome measured was the percentage change in SCORAD index to determine severity of atopic dermatitis before and after trial through objective and subjective findings. Additional outcomes included DLQ index which was evaluated via 10 questions scored on a scale of 0-3, IDQOL and DFI questionnaires directed towards evaluating quality of life through 10 questions scored from 0-3, and frequency and amount of corticosteroid used. RESULTS: Each study assessed the change in SCORAD when comparing the probiotic with the placebo group in those with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. Gerasimov et al. found a SCORAD decrease of 33.7% in the probiotic group in comparison to a decrease of 19.4% in the placebo group and no statistically significant decrease in corticosteroid use (p=0.130). IDQOL and DFI decreased by 33% and 35.2% in the probiotic group and only by 19% and 23.8% in the placebo group, respectively. Iemoli et al. found that SCORAD and DLQ at the end of the trial was significantly reduced in the probiotic group (p = 0.001, p = 0.024, respectively). The study done by Navarro-Lopez et al. found a SCORAD change of -83% (95% CI, -95% to -70%) in the probiotic group and a change of -24% (95% CI, -36% to -11%) in the placebo group. Topical steroid use in the probiotic arm (7.7%) was significantly less compared to the placebo arm (10.8%). CONCLUSION: This systematic review suggests that probiotics are effective only as an adjunctive therapy in the reduction of clinical symptoms and topical corticosteroid use in atopic dermatitis. However, further research is needed to assess exclusive reduction in subjective symptoms

Colour perception changes with basic colour word comprehension

Recent work has investigated the origin of infant colour categories, showing pre-linguistic infants categorise colour even in the absence of colour words. These infant categories are similar but not identical to adult categories, giving rise to an important question about how infant colour perception changes with the learning of colour words. Here we present two novel paradigms in which 12- and 19-month-old participants learning English as their first language were assessed on their perception of colour, while data on their colour word comprehension were also collected. Results indicate that participants' perception of colours close to the colour category boundaries dramatically change after colour word learning. The results highlight the shift made from infant colour categories to adult-like linguistically mediated colour categories that accompanies colour word learning

Application of Pade Approximants to Determination of alpha_s(M_Z^2) from Hadronic Event Shape Observables in e+e- Annihilation

We have applied Pade approximants to perturbative QCD calculations of event shape observables in e+e- --> hadrons. We used the exact O(alpha_s^2) prediction and the [0/1] Pade approximant to estimate the O(alpha_s^3) term for 15 observables, and in each case determined alpha_s(M_Z^2) from comparison with hadronic Z^0 decay data from the SLD experiment. We found the scatter among the alpha_s(M_Z^2) values to be significantly reduced compared with the standard O(alpha_s^2) determination, implying that the Pade method provides at least a partial approximation of higher-order perturbative contributions to event shape observables.Comment: 15 pages, 1 EPS figure, Submitted to Physics Letters

Addressing thermal and environmental reliability in GaN based high electron mobility transistors

AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) have appeared as attractive candidates for high power, high frequency, and high temperature operation at microwave frequencies. In particular, these devices are being considered for use in the area of high RF power for microwave and millimeter wave communications transmitter applications at frequencies greater than 100 GHz and at temperatures greater than about 150 °C. However, there are concerns regarding the reliability of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs. First of all, thermal reliability is the chief concern since high channel temperatures significantly affect the lifetime of the devices. Therefore, it is necessary to find the solutions to decrease the temperature of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs. In this study, we explored the methods to reduce the channel temperature via high thermal conductivity diamond as substrates of GaN. Experimental verification of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs on diamond substrates was performed using micro-Raman spectroscopy, and investigation of the design space for devices was conducted using finite element analysis as well. In addition to the thermal impact on reliability, environmental effects can also play a role in device degradation. Using high density and pinhole free films deposited using atomic layer deposition, we also explore the use of ultra-thin barrier films for the protection of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs in high humidity and high temperature environments. The results show that it is possible to protect the devices from the effects of moisture under high negative gate bias stress testing, whereas devices, which were unprotected, failed under the same bias stress conditions. Thus, the use of the atomic layer deposition (ALD) coatings may provide added benefits in the protection and packaging of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs.M.S

Drivers of Cost in Primary Single-Level Lumbar Fusion Surgery

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. OBJECTIVES: Allocating cost is challenging with traditional hospital accounting. Time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) is an efficient method to accurately assign cost. We sought to characterize the variation in direct total hospital cost (THC) among both lumbar fusion approaches and surgeons. METHODS: Patients were treated with single-level anterior interbody (ALIF), lateral interbody (LLIF), transforaminal interbody (TLIF), instrumented posterolateral (PLF) or in-situ fusion (ISF) for degenerative disease. Process maps were developed for preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative care. THC was composed of implant, medication, other supply, and personnel costs. Linear regression and descriptive statistics were used to analyze THC variation. RESULTS: A total of 696 patients underwent surgery by 8 surgeons. Approximately 50% of THC variation was associated with procedure choice while patient characteristics explained 10%. Implants (including biologics) accounted for 45% of cost. With reference to PLF, THC ranged from 0.6x (ISF) to 1.7x (LLIF). Implant cost ranged from 2.5x reference (LLIF) to 0.1x (ISF). There was a 1.7x difference between the highest THC surgeon and the lowest. The fusion type with the highest THC variation was TLIF. The surgeon with the highest TLIF THC was 1.5x more expensive than the surgeon with the lowest. CONCLUSIONS: Surgeon-based choices have the greatest effect on THC variation and represent the largest opportunities for cost savings. Primary single-level lumbar fusion THC is driven primarily by fusion type. Implants, including biologics, account for nearly half this cost. Future work should incorporate outcomes data to characterize the differential value conferred by higher THC fusions

Cryogenic Magneto-Terahertz Scanning Near-field Optical Microscope (cm-SNOM)

We have developed a versatile near-field microscopy platform that can operate at high magnetic fields and below liquid-helium temperatures. We use this platform to demonstrate an extreme terahertz (THz) nanoscope operation and to obtain the first cryogenic magneto-THz time-domain nano-spectroscopy/imaging at temperatures as low as 1.8 K and magnetic fields of up to 5 T simultaneously. Our cryogenic magneto-THz scanning near-field optical microscopy, or cm-SNOM, instrument comprises three main equipment: i) a 5 T split pair magnetic cryostat with a custom made insert for mounting SNOM inside; ii) an atomic force microscope (AFM) unit that accepts ultrafast THz excitation and iii) a MHz repetition rate, femtosecond laser amplifier for high-field THz pulse generation and sensitive detection. We apply the cm-SNOM to obtain proof of principle measurements of superconducting and topological materials. The new capabilities demonstrated break grounds for studying quantum materials that requires extreme environment of cryogenic operation and applied magnetic fields simultaneously in nanometer space, femtosecond time, and terahertz energy scales

Antiviral mechanism change of poly(styrene sulfonate) through gold nanoparticle coating†

Viruses are pathogens capable of causing serious global health problems and therefore the development of interventions against them is of paramount importance. One strategy towards designing broad-spectrum antivirals is through the mimicking of sulfonated glycopolymers on the cell surface so that the virion/cell interaction is inhibited by the antiviral material. A number of natural and synthetic polymers have been investigated, however, most show a virustatic mechanism, which is reversible and non-destructive. Herein we present a facile route to virucidal materials by attaching a previously known virustatic polymer, poly(styrene sulfonate), onto gold nanoparticles. We show that it is possible to alter the polymer's mode of action whilst maintaining its low IC50 by changing the macromolecular architecture

Defining synonymous codon compression schemes by genome recoding

Synthetic recoding of genomes, to remove targeted sense codons, may facilitate the encoded cellular synthesis of unnatural polymers by orthogonal translation systems. However, our limited understanding of allowed synonymous codon substitutions, and the absence of methods that enable the stepwise replacement of the Escherichia coli genome with long synthetic DNA and provide feedback on allowed and disallowed design features in synthetic genomes, have restricted progress towards this goal. Here we endow E. coli with a system for efficient, programmable replacement of genomic DNA with long (>100-kb) synthetic DNA, through the in vivo excision of double-stranded DNA from an episomal replicon by CRISPR/Cas9, coupled to lambda-red-mediated recombination and simultaneous positive and negative selection. We iterate the approach, providing a basis for stepwise whole-genome replacement. We attempt systematic recoding in an essential operon using eight synonymous recoding schemes. Each scheme systematically replaces target codons with defined synonyms and is compatible with codon reassignment. Our results define allowed and disallowed synonymous recoding schemes, and enable the identification and repair of recoding at idiosyncratic positions in the genome