Rotational superradiant scattering in a vortex flow

When an incident wave scatters off of an obstacle, it is partially reflected and partially transmitted. In theory, if the obstacle is rotating, waves can be amplified in the process, extracting energy from the scatterer. Here we describe in detail the first laboratory detection of this phenomenon, known as superradiance 1, 2, 3, 4. We observed that waves propagating on the surface of water can be amplified after being scattered by a draining vortex. The maximum amplification measured was 14% ± 8%, obtained for 3.70 Hz waves, in a 6.25-cm-deep fluid, consistent with the superradiant scattering caused by rapid rotation. We expect our experimental findings to be relevant to black-hole physics, since shallow water waves scattering on a draining fluid constitute an analogue of a black hole 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, as well as to hydrodynamics, due to the close relation to over-reflection instabilities 11, 12, 13

Population dynamics of methicillin-susceptible and -resistant Staphylococcus aureus in remote communities

Objectives: Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) was first reported in remote regions of Western Australia (WA) in 1992 and is now the predominant MRSA isolated in the State. To gain insights into the emergence of CA-MRSA, 2146 people living in 11 remote WA communities were screened for colonization with S. aureus. Methods: Antibiogram analysis, contour-clamped homogeneous electric field electrophoresis, multilocus sequence typing, Panton-Valentine leucocidin determinant detection and accessory genetic regulator typing were performed to characterize the isolates. MRSA was further characterized by staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec typing. Results: The S. aureus population consisted of 13 clonal complexes and two Singleton lineages together with 56 sporadic isolates. Five lineages contained MRSA; however, these were not the predominant methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) lineages. There was greater diversity amongst the MSSA while the MRSA appeared to have emerged clonally following acquisition of the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec. Three MRSA lineages were considered to have been endemic in the communities and have subsequently become predominant lineages of CA-MRSA in the wider WA community. People colonized with MSSA tended to harbour clones of a different genetic lineage at each anatomical site while people colonized with MRSA tended to harbour clones of the same lineage at each site. Overall, the isolates were resistant to few antimicrobials. Conclusions: Although the evidence suggests that in WA CA-MRSA strains arose in remote communities and have now disseminated into the wider community, there is no evidence that they arose from the predominant MSSA clones in these communities

The prevalence of enteroviral capsid protein vp1 immunostaining in pancreatic islets in human type 1 diabetes.

addresses: Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Peninsula Medical School, Plymouth, UK.The final publication is available at link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00125-009-1276-0Evidence that the beta cells of human patients with type 1 diabetes can be infected with enterovirus is accumulating, but it remains unclear whether such infections occur at high frequency and are important in the disease process. We have now assessed the prevalence of enteroviral capsid protein vp1 (vp1) staining in a large cohort of autopsy pancreases of recent-onset type 1 diabetic patients and a range of controls

Does the use of the 2009 FIGO classification of endometrial cancer impact on indications of the sentinel node biopsy?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Lymphadenectomy is debated in early stages endometrial cancer. Moreover, a new FIGO classification of endometrial cancer, merging stages IA and IB has been recently published. Therefore, the aims of the present study was to evaluate the relevance of the sentinel node (SN) procedure in women with endometrial cancer and to discuss whether the use of the 2009 FIGO classification could modify the indications for SN procedure.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Eighty-five patients with endometrial cancer underwent the SN procedure followed by pelvic lymphadenectomy. SNs were detected with a dual or single labelling method in 74 and 11 cases, respectively. All SNs were analysed by both H&E staining and immunohistochemistry. Presumed stage before surgery was assessed for all patients based on MR imaging features using the 1988 FIGO classification and the 2009 FIGO classification.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>An SN was detected in 88.2% of cases (75/85 women). Among the fourteen patients with lymph node metastases one-half were detected by serial sectioning and immunohistochemical analysis. There were no false negative case. Using the 1988 FIGO classification and the 2009 FIGO classification, the correlation between preoperative MRI staging and final histology was moderate with Kappa = 0.24 and Kappa = 0.45, respectively. None of the patients with grade 1 endometrioid carcinoma on biopsy and IA 2009 FIGO stage on MR imaging exhibited positive SN. In patients with grade 2-3 endometrioid carcinoma and stage IA on MR imaging, the rate of positive SN reached 16.6% with an incidence of micrometastases of 50%.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The present study suggests that sentinel node biopsy is an adequate technique to evaluate lymph node status. The use of the 2009 FIGO classification increases the accuracy of MR imaging to stage patients with early stages of endometrial cancer and contributes to clarify the indication of SN biopsy according to tumour grade and histological type.</p

A Semi-Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Model Describing the Altered Metabolism of Midazolam Due to Inflammation in Mice

This is the author's accepted manuscript.Purpose To investigate influence of inflammation on metabolism and pharmacokinetics (PK) of midazolam (MDZ) and construct a semi-physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model to predict PK in mice with inflammatory disease. Methods Glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (GPI)-mediated inflammation was used as a preclinical model of arthritis in DBA/1 mice. CYP3A substrate MDZ was selected to study changes in metabolism and PK during the inflammation. The semi-PBPK model was constructed using mouse physiological parameters, liver microsome metabolism, and healthy animal PK data. In addition, serum cytokine, and liver-CYP (cytochrome P450 enzymes) mRNA levels were examined. Results The in vitro metabolite formation rate was suppressed in liver microsomes prepared from the GPI-treated mice as compared to the healthy mice. Further, clearance of MDZ was reduced during inflammation as compared to the healthy group. Finally, the semi-PBPK model was used to predict PK of MDZ after GPI-mediated inflammation. IL-6 and TNF-α levels were elevated and liver-cyp3a11 mRNA was reduced after GPI treatment. Conclusion The semi-PBPK model successfully predicted PK parameters of MDZ in the disease state. The model may be applied to predict PK of other drugs under disease conditions using healthy animal PK and liver microsomal data as inputs

Justifications of national gambling policies in France and Finland

AIMS - The principles of free trade and free circulation of services within the European Union have created pressures to make the strictly controlled European gambling markets more open. According to the Court of Justice of the European Union, restrictions on gambling are only allowed if they are justified in admissible terms of consumer protection, prevention of criminal activity and protection of public order. This study compares the gambling laws of two European societies, France and Finland, to analyse how their legal frames of gambling have been adjusted to these principles. DESIGN - The data consists of up-to-date legislation on gambling in Finland and France. A qualitative analysis was conducted to study whether new ways of justifying have been included in legislative texts and if these are substantiated by measures related to consumer protection or crime prevention. RESULTS - France has mainly justified its restrictive policies on gambling in terms of preventing criminal activities while the Finnish legislation highlights the charitable causes funded by gambling proceeds, a claim not accepted by the Court of Justice of the European Union. Consumer protection is increasingly stressed in both countries, and the range of rationales has also grown notably since 2007. CONCLUSION - While the vocabularies of justification accepted by the CJEU have expanded since 2007, these have not been substantiated by many new legislative measures. This is not attributed to political ill will but rather to the difficulty of changing existing legislative traditions.Peer reviewe

The Immune Cellular Effectors of Terrestrial Isopod Armadillidium vulgare: Meeting with Their Invaders, Wolbachia

Most of crustacean immune responses are well described for the aquatic forms whereas almost nothing is known for the isopods that evolved a terrestrial lifestyle. The latter are also infected at a high prevalence with Wolbachia, an endosymbiotic bacterium which affects the host immune system, possibly to improve its transmission. In contrast with insect models, the isopod Armadillidium vulgare is known to harbor Wolbachia inside the haemocytes.In A. vulgare we characterized three haemocyte types (TEM, flow cytometry): the hyaline and semi-granular haemocytes were phagocytes, while semi-granular and granular haemocytes performed encapsulation. They were produced in the haematopoietic organs, from central stem cells, maturing as they moved toward the edge (TEM). In infected individuals, live Wolbachia (FISH) colonized 38% of the haemocytes but with low, variable densities (6.45±0.46 Wolbachia on average). So far they were not found in hyaline haemocytes (TEM). The haematopoietic organs contained 7.6±0.7×10(3)Wolbachia, both in stem cells and differentiating cells (FISH). While infected and uninfected one-year-old individuals had the same haemocyte density, in infected animals the proportion of granular haemocytes in particular decreased by one third (flow cytometry, Pearson's test = 12 822.98, df = 2, p<0.001).The characteristics of the isopod immune system fell within the range of those known from aquatic crustaceans. The colonization of the haemocytes by Wolbachia seemed to stand from the haematopoietic organs, which may act as a reservoir to discharge Wolbachia in the haemolymph, a known route for horizontal transfer. Wolbachia infection did not affect the haemocyte density, but the quantity of granular haemocytes decreased by one third. This may account for the reduced prophenoloxidase activity observed previously in these animals