Onset voltage shift due to non-zero Landau ground state level in coherent magnetotransport

Coherent electron transport in double-barrier heterostructures with parallel electric and magnetic fields is analyzed theoretically and with the aid of a quantum simulator accounting for 3-dimensional transport effects. The onset-voltage shift induced by the magnetic field in resonant tunneling diodes, which was previously attributed to the cyclotron frequency $w_c$ inside the well is found to arise from an upward shift of the non-zero ground (lowest) Landau state energy in the entire quantum region where coherent transport takes place. The spatial dependence of the cyclotron frequency is accounted for and verified to have a negligible impact on resonant tunneling for the device and magnetic field strength considered. A correction term for the onset-voltage shift arising from the magnetic field dependence of the chemical potential is also derived. The Landau ground state with its nonvanishing finite harmonic oscillator energy $\hbar w_c /2$ is verified however to be the principal contributor to the onset voltage shift at low temperatures.Comment: 13 pages, and 3 figures. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

A case report of an intracardiac paraganglioma attached to the left main coronary artery in a patient with a succinate dehydrogenase complex subunit D mutation

BackgroundCardiac paragangliomas are extremely rare neuroendocrine tumours derived from neural crest cells that represent Case summaryA 44-year-old male with an SDH complex subunit D (SDHD) mutation was diagnosed with an intracardiac paraganglioma attached to the left main coronary artery. Multimodality imaging, including gallium dotatate positron emission tomography computed tomography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) confirmed the suspected intracardiac paraganglioma. During follow-up with a CCTA, the mass showed growth, and surgical removal was recommended to anticipate on the risk of compression of the left main coronary artery. Prior to surgery, coronary angiography was performed, which showed no coronary calcifications. The highly vascularized paraganglioma was visible near the left main and proximal left anterior descending artery. The intracardiac paraganglioma was successfully removed through a median sternotomy with cardiopulmonary bypass, without any complications. The post-operative course was uneventful, and histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of a paraganglioma.DiscussionIntracardiac paragangliomas in the vicinity of the left main coronary artery are rare, and surgical removal may be challenging. Therefore, screening and the use of multiple imaging modalities in patients with SDHD mutations prior to surgery is of major importance.Thoracic Surger

Evaluation of Exposure Assessment Tools under REACH: Part II-Higher Tier Tools.

Stoffenmanager®v4.5 and Advanced REACH Tool (ART) v1.5, two higher tier exposure assessment tools for use under REACH, were evaluated by determining accuracy and robustness. A total of 282 exposure measurements from 51 exposure situations (ESs) were collected and categorized by exposure category. In this study, only the results of liquids with vapor pressure (VP) > 10 Pa category having a sufficient number of exposure measurements (n = 251 with 42 ESs) were utilized. In addition, the results were presented by handling/activity description and input parameters for the same exposure category. It should be noted that the performance results of Stoffenmanager and ART in this study cannot be directly compared for some ESs because ART allows a combination of up to four subtasks (and nonexposed periods) to be included, whereas the database for Stoffenmanager, separately developed under the permission of the legal owner of Stoffenmanager, permits the use of only one task to predict exposure estimates. Thus, it would be most appropriate to compare full-shift measurements against ART predictions (full shift including nonexposed periods) and task-based measurements against task-based Stoffenmanager predictions. For liquids with VP > 10 Pa category, Stoffenmanager®v4.5 appeared to be reasonably accurate and robust when predicting exposures [percentage of measurements exceeding the tool's 90th percentile estimate (%M > T) was 15%]. Areas that could potentially be improved include ESs involving the task of handling of liquids on large surfaces or large work pieces, allocation of high and medium VP inputs, and absence of local exhaust ventilation input. Although the ART's median predictions appeared to be reasonably accurate for liquids with VP > 10 Pa, the %M > T for the 90th percentile estimates was 41%, indicating that variance in exposure levels is underestimated by ART. The %M > T using the estimates of the upper value of 90% confidence interval (CI) of the 90th percentile estimate (UCI90) was considerably reduced to 18% for liquids with VP > 10 Pa. On the basis of this observation, users might be to consider using the upper limit value of 90% CI of the 90th percentile estimate for predicting reasonable worst case situations. Nevertheless, for some activities and input parameters, ART still shows areas to be improved. Hence, it is suggested that ART developers review the assumptions in relation to exposure variability within the tool, toward improving the tool performance in estimating percentile exposure levels. In addition, for both tools, only some handling/activity descriptions and input parameters were considered. Thus, further validation studies are still necessary

Evaluation of Exposure Assessment Tools under REACH: Part I-Tier 1 Tools.

Tier 1 occupational exposure assessment tools recommended for use under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and restriction of CHemicals (REACH) were evaluated using newly collected measurement data. Evaluated tools included the ECETOC TRAv2 and TRAv3, MEASEv1.02.01, and EMKG-EXPO-TOOL. Fifty-three exposure situations (ESs) based on tasks/chemicals were developed from National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health field surveys. During the field surveys, high quality contextual information required for evaluating the tools was also collected. For each ES, applicable tools were then used to generate exposure estimates using a consensus approach. Among 53 ESs, only those related to an exposure category of liquids with vapor pressure (VP) > 10 Pa had sufficient numbers of exposure measurements (42 ESs with n = 251 for TRAv2 and TRAv3 and 40 ESs with n = 243 for EMKG-EXPO-TOOL) to be considered in detail. The results for other exposure categories (aqueous solutions, liquids with VP ≤ 10 Pa, metal processing, powders, and solid objects) had insufficient measurement to allow detailed analyses (results listed in the Supplementary File). Overall, EMKG-EXPO-TOOL generated more conservative results than TRAv2 and TRAv3 for liquids with high VP. This finding is at least partly due to the fact that the EMKG-EXPO-TOOL only considers pure substances and not mixtures of chemical agents. For 34 out of 40 ESs available for chemicals with VP > 10 Pa, the liquid was a mixture rather than a pure substance. TRAv3 was less conservative than TRAv2, probably due to additional refinement of some input parameters. The percentages of exposure measurement results exceeding the corresponding tool estimates for liquids with VP > 10 Pa by process category and by input parameters were always higher for TRAv3 compared to those for TRAv2. Although the conclusions of this study are limited to liquids with VP > 10 Pa and few process categories, this study utilized the most transparent contextual information compared to previous studies, reducing uncertainty from assumptions for unknown input parameters. A further validation is recommended by collecting sufficient exposure data covering other exposure categories and all process categories under REACH

Statistics of Atmospheric Correlations

For a large class of quantum systems the statistical properties of their spectrum show remarkable agreement with random matrix predictions. Recent advances show that the scope of random matrix theory is much wider. In this work, we show that the random matrix approach can be beneficially applied to a completely different classical domain, namely, to the empirical correlation matrices obtained from the analysis of the basic atmospheric parameters that characterise the state of atmosphere. We show that the spectrum of atmospheric correlation matrices satisfy the random matrix prescription. In particular, the eigenmodes of the atmospheric empirical correlation matrices that have physical significance are marked by deviations from the eigenvector distribution.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figs, revtex; To appear in Phys. Rev.

Development and Validation of a 28-gene Hypoxia-related Prognostic Signature for Localized Prostate Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Hypoxia is associated with a poor prognosis in prostate cancer. This work aimed to derive and validate a hypoxia-related mRNA signature for localized prostate cancer. METHOD: Hypoxia genes were identified in vitro via RNA-sequencing and combined with in vivo gene co-expression analysis to generate a signature. The signature was independently validated in eleven prostate cancer cohorts and a bladder cancer phase III randomized trial of radiotherapy alone or with carbogen and nicotinamide (CON). RESULTS: A 28-gene signature was derived. Patients with high signature scores had poorer biochemical recurrence free survivals in six of eight independent cohorts of prostatectomy-treated patients (Log rank test P \u3c .05), with borderline significances achieved in the other two (P \u3c .1). The signature also predicted biochemical recurrence in patients receiving post-prostatectomy radiotherapy (n = 130, P = .007) or definitive radiotherapy alone (n = 248, P = .035). Lastly, the signature predicted metastasis events in a pooled cohort (n = 631, P = .002). Prognostic significance remained after adjusting for clinic-pathological factors and commercially available prognostic signatures. The signature predicted benefit from hypoxia-modifying therapy in bladder cancer patients (intervention-by-signature interaction test P = .0026), where carbogen and nicotinamide was associated with improved survival only in hypoxic tumours. CONCLUSION: A 28-gene hypoxia signature has strong and independent prognostic value for prostate cancer patients

Surgical fixation with K-wires versus casting in adults with fracture of distal radius: DRAFFT2 multicentre randomised clinical trial

Objective To assess wrist function, quality of life, and complications in adult patients with a dorsally displaced fracture of the distal radius, treated with either a moulded cast or surgical fixation with K-wires. Design Multicentre randomised clinical superiority trial, Setting 36 hospitals in the UK National Health Service (NHS). Participants 500 adults aged 16 or over with a dorsally displaced fracture of the distal radius, randomised after manipulation of their fracture (255 to moulded cast; 245 to surgical fixation). Interventions Manipulation and moulded cast was compared with manipulation and surgical fixation with K-wires plus cast. Details of the application of the cast and the insertion of the K-wires were at the discretion of the treating surgeon, according to their normal clinical practice. Main outcome measures The primary outcome measure was the Patient Rated Wrist Evaluation (PRWE) score at 12 months (five questions about pain and 10 about function and disability; overall score out of 100 (best score=0 and worst score=100)). Secondary outcomes were PRWE score at three and six months, quality of life, and complications, including the need for surgery due to loss of fracture position in the first six weeks. Results The mean age of participants was 60 years and 417 (83%) were women; 395 (79%) completed follow-up. No statistically significant difference in the PRWE score was seen at 12 months (cast group (n=200), mean 21.2 (SD 23.1); K-wire group (n=195), mean 20.7 (22.3); adjusted mean difference −0.34 (95% confidence interval −4.33 to 3.66), P=0.87). No difference was seen at earlier time points. In the cast group, 33 (13%) of participants needed surgical fixation for loss of fracture position in the first six weeks compared with one revision surgery in the K-wire group (odds ratio 0.02, 95% confidence interval 0.001 to 0.10). Conclusions Among patients with a dorsally displaced distal radius fracture that needed manipulation, surgical fixation with K-wires did not improve patients’ wrist function at 12 months compared with a cast. Trial registration ISRCTN registry ISRCTN1198054

Transcriptome profiling on the response of Mycosphaerella graminicola isolates to an azole fungicide using cDNA arrays

Resistance to azole antifungals is a major problem in the control of diseases caused by fungal pathogens of both humans and plants. Potential for the development of azole resistance in the wheat leaf blotch pathogen Mycosphaerella graminicola, the causal agent of the most economically significant foliar disease of wheat in north-western Europe, is now of particular concern after the recent emergence of widespread resistance to quinone outside inhibitor fungicides. Using a cDNA microarray representing around 25% of the genome, we have profiled the transcriptional response of M. graminicola to epoxiconazole, currently the most widely used azole fungicide on cereal crops. By comparing the transcription profiles of two M. graminicola isolates with contrasting sensitivities to epoxiconazole we show qualitative and quantitative differences in differentially expressed genes, including those involved in ergosterol biosynthesis, mitochondrial respiration and transport mechanisms. This represents the first study investigating the response of a plant pathogenic fungus to a fungicide using cDNA microarray technology

On the particle paths and the stagnation points in small-amplitude deep-water waves

In order to obtain quite precise information about the shape of the particle paths below small-amplitude gravity waves travelling on irrotational deep water, analytic solutions of the nonlinear differential equation system describing the particle motion are provided. All these solutions are not closed curves. Some particle trajectories are peakon-like, others can be expressed with the aid of the Jacobi elliptic functions or with the aid of the hyperelliptic functions. Remarks on the stagnation points of the small-amplitude irrotational deep-water waves are also made.Comment: to appear in J. Math. Fluid Mech. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1106.382

Light scattering from disordered overlayers of metallic nanoparticles

We develop a theory for light scattering from a disordered layer of metal nanoparticles resting on a sample. Averaging over different disorder realizations is done by a coherent potential approximation. The calculational scheme takes into account effects of retardation, multipole excitations, and interactions with the sample. We apply the theory to a system similar to the one studied experimentally by Stuart and Hall [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 80}, 5663 (1998)] who used a layered Si/SiO$_2$/Si sample. The calculated results agree rather well with the experimental ones. In particular we find conspicuous maxima in the scattering intensity at long wavelengths (much longer than those corresponding to plasmon resonances in the particles). We show that these maxima have their origin in interference phenomena in the layered sample.Comment: 19 pages, 12 figure