459 research outputs found
Time-dependent quantum many-body theory of identical bosons in a double well: Early time ballistic interferences of fragmented and number entangled states
A time-dependent multiconfigurational self-consistent field theory is
presented to describe the many-body dynamics of a gas of identical bosonic
atoms confined to an external trapping potential at zero temperature from first
principles. A set of generalized evolution equations are developed, through the
time-dependent variational principle, which account for the complete and
self-consistent coupling between the expansion coefficients of each
configuration and the underlying one-body wave functions within a restricted
two state Fock space basis that includes the full effects of the condensate's
mean field as well as atomic correlation. The resulting dynamical equations are
a classical Hamiltonian system and, by construction, form a well-defined
initial value problem. They are implemented in an efficient numerical
algorithm. An example is presented, highlighting the generality of the theory,
in which the ballistic expansion of a fragmented condensate ground state is
compared to that of a macroscopic quantum superposition state, taken here to be
a highly entangled number state, upon releasing the external trapping
potential. Strikingly different many-body matter-wave dynamics emerge in each
case, accentuating the role of both atomic correlation and mean-field effects
in the two condensate states.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figure
Phase-Field Model of Mode III Dynamic Fracture
We introduce a phenomenological continuum model for mode III dynamic fracture
that is based on the phase-field methodology used extensively to model
interfacial pattern formation. We couple a scalar field, which distinguishes
between ``broken'' and ``unbroken'' states of the system, to the displacement
field in a way that consistently includes both macroscopic elasticity and a
simple rotationally invariant short scale description of breaking. We report
two-dimensional simulations that yield steady-state crack motion in a strip
geometry above the Griffith threshold.Comment: submitted to PR
A meta-analytic review of stand-alone interventions to improve body image
Objective
Numerous stand-alone interventions to improve body image have been developed. The
present review used meta-analysis to estimate the effectiveness of such interventions, and
to identify the specific change techniques that lead to improvement in body image.
Methods
The inclusion criteria were that (a) the intervention was stand-alone (i.e., solely focused on
improving body image), (b) a control group was used, (c) participants were randomly
assigned to conditions, and (d) at least one pretest and one posttest measure of body
image was taken. Effect sizes were meta-analysed and moderator analyses were conducted.
A taxonomy of 48 change techniques used in interventions targeted at body image
was developed; all interventions were coded using this taxonomy.
Results
The literature search identified 62 tests of interventions (N = 3,846). Interventions produced
a small-to-medium improvement in body image (d+ = 0.38), a small-to-medium reduction in
beauty ideal internalisation (d+ = -0.37), and a large reduction in social comparison tendencies
(d+ = -0.72). However, the effect size for body image was inflated by bias both within
and across studies, and was reliable but of small magnitude once corrections for bias were
applied. Effect sizes for the other outcomes were no longer reliable once corrections for
bias were applied. Several features of the sample, intervention, and methodology moderated
intervention effects. Twelve change techniques were associated with improvements in
body image, and three techniques were contra-indicated.
Conclusions
The findings show that interventions engender only small improvements in body image, and
underline the need for large-scale, high-quality trials in this area. The review identifies effective
techniques that could be deployed in future interventions
Left ventricular dyssynchrony assessed by two three-dimensional imaging modalities: phase analysis of gated myocardial perfusion SPECT and tri-plane tissue Doppler imaging
Ablation of SP-A has a negative impact on the susceptibility of mice to Klebsiella pneumoniae infection after ozone exposure: sex differences
GWAS of epigenetic aging rates in blood reveals a critical role for TERT.
DNA methylation age is an accurate biomarker of chronological age and predicts lifespan, but its underlying molecular mechanisms are unknown. In this genome-wide association study of 9907 individuals, we find gene variants mapping to five loci associated with intrinsic epigenetic age acceleration (IEAA) and gene variants in three loci associated with extrinsic epigenetic age acceleration (EEAA). Mendelian randomization analysis suggests causal influences of menarche and menopause on IEAA and lipoproteins on IEAA and EEAA. Variants associated with longer leukocyte telomere length (LTL) in the telomerase reverse transcriptase gene (TERT) paradoxically confer higher IEAA (P < 2.7 × 10-11). Causal modeling indicates TERT-specific and independent effects on LTL and IEAA. Experimental hTERT-expression in primary human fibroblasts engenders a linear increase in DNA methylation age with cell population doubling number. Together, these findings indicate a critical role for hTERT in regulating the epigenetic clock, in addition to its established role of compensating for cell replication-dependent telomere shortening
COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Therapy Decreases Inflammatory Cytokines: A Randomized Controlled Trial
This study examined the role that cytokines may have played in the beneficial outcomes found when outpatient individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 were transfused with COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) early in their infection. We found that the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 decreased significantly faster in patients treated early with CCP. Participants with COVID-19 treated with CCP later in the infection did not have the same effect. This decrease in IL-6 levels after early CCP treatment suggests a possible role of inflammation in COVID-19 progression. The evidence of IL-6 involvement brings insight into the possible mechanisms involved in CCP treatment mitigating SARS-CoV-2 severity
Dynamics of Inflammatory Responses After SARS-CoV-2 Infection by Vaccination Status in the USA: A Prospective Cohort Study
BACKGROUND: Cytokines and chemokines play a critical role in the response to infection and vaccination. We aimed to assess the longitudinal association of COVID-19 vaccination with cytokine and chemokine concentrations and trajectories among people with SARS-CoV-2 infection.
METHODS: In this longitudinal, prospective cohort study, blood samples were used from participants enrolled in a multi-centre randomised trial assessing the efficacy of convalescent plasma therapy for ambulatory COVID-19. The trial was conducted in 23 outpatient sites in the USA. In this study, participants (aged ≥18 years) were restricted to those with COVID-19 before vaccination or with breakthrough infections who had blood samples and symptom data collected at screening (pre-transfusion), day 14, and day 90 visits. Associations between COVID-19 vaccination status and concentrations of 21 cytokines and chemokines (measured using multiplexed sandwich immunoassays) were examined using multivariate linear mixed-effects regression models, adjusted for age, sex, BMI, hypertension, diabetes, trial group, and COVID-19 waves (pre-alpha or alpha and delta).
FINDINGS: Between June 29, 2020, and Sept 30, 2021, 882 participants recently infected with SARS-CoV-2 were enrolled, of whom 506 (57%) were female and 376 (43%) were male. 688 (78%) of 882 participants were unvaccinated, 55 (6%) were partly vaccinated, and 139 (16%) were fully vaccinated at baseline. After adjusting for confounders, geometric mean concentrations of interleukin (IL)-2RA, IL-7, IL-8, IL-15, IL-29 (interferon-λ), inducible protein-10, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and tumour necrosis factor-α were significantly lower among the fully vaccinated group than in the unvaccinated group at screening. On day 90, fully vaccinated participants had approximately 20% lower geometric mean concentrations of IL-7, IL-8, and vascular endothelial growth factor-A than unvaccinated participants. Cytokine and chemokine concentrations decreased over time in the fully and partly vaccinated groups and unvaccinated group. Log
INTERPRETATION: Initially and during recovery from symptomatic COVID-19, fully vaccinated participants had lower concentrations of inflammatory markers than unvaccinated participants suggesting vaccination is associated with short-term and long-term reduction in inflammation, which could in part explain the reduced disease severity and mortality in vaccinated individuals.
FUNDING: US Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health, Bloomberg Philanthropies, State of Maryland, Mental Wellness Foundation, Moriah Fund, Octapharma, HealthNetwork Foundation, and the Shear Family Foundation
Growth and Competitive Effects of Centaurea stoebe Populations in Response to Simulated Nitrogen Deposition
Increased resource availability can promote invasion by exotic plants, raising concerns over the potential effects of global increases in the deposition of nitrogen (N). It is poorly understood why increased N favors exotics over natives. Fast growth may be a general trait of good invaders and these species may have exceptional abilities to increase growth rates in response to N deposition. Additionally, invaders commonly displace locals, and thus may have inherently greater competitive abilities. The mean growth response of Centaurea stoebe to two N levels was significantly greater than that of North American (NA) species. Growth responses to N did not vary among C. stoebe populations or NA species. Without supplemental N, NA species were better competitors than C. stoebe, and C. stoebe populations varied in competitive effects. The competitive effects of C. stoebe populations increased with N whereas the competitive effects of NA species decreased, eliminating the overall competitive advantage demonstrated by NA species in soil without N added. These results suggest that simulated N deposition may enhance C. stoebe invasion through increasing its growth and relative competitive advantage, and also indicate the possibility of local adaptation in competitive effects across the introduced range of an invader
Q-Dependent Susceptibility in Z-Invariant Pentagrid Ising Model
We study the q-dependent susceptibility chi(q) of a Z-invariant ferromagnetic
Ising model on a Penrose tiling, as first introduced by Korepin using de
Bruijn's pentagrid for the rapidity lines. The pair-correlation function for
this model can be calculated exactly using the quadratic difference equations
from our previous papers. Its Fourier transform chi(q) is studied using a novel
way to calculate the joint probability for the pentagrid neighborhoods of the
two spins, reducing this calculation to linear programming. Since the lattice
is quasiperiodic, we find that chi(q) is aperiodic and has everywhere dense
peaks, which are not all visible at very low or high temperatures. More and
more peaks become visible as the correlation length increases--that is, as the
temperature approaches the critical temperature.Comment: LaTeX2e, 52 pages, 12 figures (45 eps files), uses rotating.sty
(choose right rotdriver). v2: Quality of figures has been much enhanced. v3:
Misprints correcte
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