Stochastic Processes and the Dirac Equation with External Fields

The equation describing the stochastic motion of a classical particle in 1+1-dimensional space-time is connected to the Dirac equation with external gauge fields. The effects of assigning different turning probabilities to the forward and the backward moving particles in time are discussed.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure, scalar parts eliminate

Organizing Pneumonia by Paragonimiasis and Coexistent Aspergilloma Manifested as a Pulmonary Irregular Nodule

Organizing pneumonia by paragonimiasis and coexistent aspergilloma as a pulmonary nodule is a rare case of lung disease. Its radiographic or CT feature has not been described before in the radiologic literature. We present organizing pneumonia by paragonimiasis and coexistent aspergilloma manifested as a pulmonary irregular nodule on CT

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Insulin Biosynthesis: A Review

Insulin resistance and pancreatic beta cell dysfunction are major contributors to the pathogenesis of diabetes. Various conditions play a role in the pathogenesis of pancreatic beta cell dysfunction and are correlated with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Pancreatic beta cells are susceptible to ER stress. Many studies have shown that increased ER stress induces pancreatic beta cell dysfunction and diabetes mellitus using genetic models of ER stress and by various stimuli. There are many reports indicating that ER stress plays an important role in the impairment of insulin biosynthesis, suggesting that reduction of ER stress could be a therapeutic target for diabetes. In this paper, we reviewed the relationship between ER stress and diabetes and how ER stress controls insulin biosynthesis

DeepHealthNet: Adolescent Obesity Prediction System Based on a Deep Learning Framework

Childhood and adolescent obesity rates are a global concern because obesity is associated with chronic diseases and long-term health risks. Artificial intelligence technology has emerged as a promising solution to accurately predict obesity rates and provide personalized feedback to adolescents. This study emphasizes the importance of early identification and prevention of obesity-related health issues. Factors such as height, weight, waist circumference, calorie intake, physical activity levels, and other relevant health information need to be considered for developing robust algorithms for obesity rate prediction and delivering personalized feedback. Hence, by collecting health datasets from 321 adolescents, we proposed an adolescent obesity prediction system that provides personalized predictions and assists individuals in making informed health decisions. Our proposed deep learning framework, DeepHealthNet, effectively trains the model using data augmentation techniques, even when daily health data are limited, resulting in improved prediction accuracy (acc: 0.8842). Additionally, the study revealed variations in the prediction of the obesity rate between boys (acc: 0.9320) and girls (acc: 0.9163), allowing the identification of disparities and the determination of the optimal time to provide feedback. The proposed system shows significant potential in effectively addressing childhood and adolescent obesity

GaAs droplet quantum dots with nanometer-thin capping layer for plasmonic applications

We report on the growth and optical characterisation of droplet GaAs quantum dots with extremely-thin (11 nm) capping layers. To achieve such result, an internal thermal heating step is introduced during the growth and its role in the morphological properties of the quantum dots obtained is investigated via scanning electron and atomic force microscopy. Photoluminescence measurements at cryogenic temperatures show optically stable, sharp and bright emission from single quantum dots, at near-infrared wavelengths. Given the quality of their optical properties and the proximity to the surface, such emitters are ideal candidates for the investigation of near field effects, like the coupling to plasmonic modes, in order to strongly control the directionality of the emission and/or the spontaneous emission rate, crucial parameters for quantum photonic applications.Comment: 1 pages, 3 figure

Preferential Inhibition of Frontal-to-Parietal Feedback Connectivity Is a Neurophysiologic Correlate of General Anesthesia in Surgical Patients

BACKGROUND: The precise mechanism and optimal measure of anesthetic-induced unconsciousness has yet to be elucidated. Preferential inhibition of feedback connectivity from frontal to parietal brain networks is one potential neurophysiologic correlate, but has only been demonstrated in animals or under limited conditions in healthy volunteers. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We recruited eighteen patients presenting for surgery under general anesthesia; electroencephalography of the frontal and parietal regions was acquired during (i) baseline consciousness, (ii) anesthetic induction with propofol or sevoflurane, (iii) general anesthesia, (iv) recovery of consciousness, and (v) post-recovery states. We used two measures of effective connectivity, evolutional map approach and symbolic transfer entropy, to analyze causal interactions of the frontal and parietal regions. The dominant feedback connectivity of the baseline conscious state was inhibited after anesthetic induction and during general anesthesia, resulting in reduced asymmetry of feedback and feedforward connections in the frontoparietal network. Dominant feedback connectivity returned when patients recovered from anesthesia. Both analytic techniques and both classes of anesthetics demonstrated similar results in this heterogeneous population of surgical patients. CONCLUSIONS: The disruption of dominant feedback connectivity in the frontoparietal network is a common neurophysiologic correlate of general anesthesia across two anesthetic classes and two analytic measures. This study represents a key translational step from the underlying cognitive neuroscience of consciousness to more sophisticated monitoring of anesthetic effects in human surgical patients

Human Trichohyalin Gene Is Clustered with the Genes for Other Epidermal Structural Proteins and Calcium-Binding Proteins at Chromosomal Locus 1q21

Trichohyalin is a major differentiation product of hard keratinizing tissues such as the inner root sheath and medullary cells of the hair follicle and the filiform papillae of the tongue, as well as terminally differentiating epidermal cells. It consists largely of quasi-repeating peptide repeats and functions primarily as an intermediate filament-associated protein in these tissues. By mapping with human-rodent somatic cell hybrids and fluorescent in situ hybridization, we demonstrate that its gene maps to chromosomal region 1q21. Interestingly, genes encoding several other structural proteins expressed during terminal differentiation in the epidermis map to this region, as do also several members of the S-100 class of small calcium-binding proteins

Preparation and Characterization of Pectin Hydroxamates from Citrus Unshiu Peels

Pectin was extracted from unshiu orange (Citrus unshiu) peels and was subjected to chemical modification using hydroxamic acid. The structural and physical properties of the resulting derivatives were investigated as a function of hydroxamic acid content (4.68-9.58%). The extracted unshiu orange pectin showed 66.8% degree of esterification, 787.5 mg/g galacturonic acid, and 92 mg/g neutral sugars, which were composed of arabinose (53%), galactose (35%), glucose (5%), rhamnose (5%), and fructose (2%). Compared to the native pectin, the FT-IR spectra of the hydroxamic acid derivatives showed two new absorption bands at 1,646 cm-1 (C=O) and 1,568 cm-1 (N-H). Specifically, the pectin derivatives with more hydroxamic acids were shown to have enhanced water solubility, upto two-fold higher than that of the native pectin. Thus, the introduction of hydroxamic acid into the pectin structure appears to be a useful tool for improving the solubility of pectin