3,158 research outputs found
Lingual Osseous Choristoma Case report and review of literature
Lingual osseous choristoma is an extremely rare condition, of which only 61 cases have been reported. Monserrat in 1913 was the first to report this bony lesion on the dorsum of the tongue and it was labelled as lingual osteoma, the term that normally describes neoplastic pathology. Krolls et al changed this term later to osseous choristoma, which means normal tissue in an abnormal location. The aetiology and pathogenesis of lingual osseous choristoma remain debatable. We report a case of lingual osseous choristoma and review the literature
A pilot study comparing the metabolic profiles of elite-level athletes from different sporting disciplines
Background: The outstanding performance of an elite athlete might be associated with changes in their blood metabolic profile. The aims of this study were to compare the blood metabolic profiles between moderate- and high-power and endurance elite athletes and to identify the potential metabolic pathways underlying these differences. Methods: Metabolic profiling of serum samples from 191 elite athletes from different sports disciplines (121 high- and 70 moderate-endurance athletes, including 44 high- and 144 moderate-power athletes), who participated in national or international sports events and tested negative for doping abuse at anti-doping laboratories, was performed using non-targeted metabolomics-based mass spectroscopy combined with ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography. Multivariate analysis was conducted using orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis. Differences in metabolic levels between high- and moderate-power and endurance sports were assessed by univariate linear models. Results: Out of 743 analyzed metabolites, gamma-glutamyl amino acids were significantly reduced in both high-power and high-endurance athletes compared to moderate counterparts, indicating active glutathione cycle. High-endurance athletes exhibited significant increases in the levels of several sex hormone steroids involved in testosterone and progesterone synthesis, but decreases in diacylglycerols and ecosanoids. High-power athletes had increased levels of phospholipids and xanthine metabolites compared to moderate-power counterparts. Conclusions: This pilot data provides evidence that high-power and high-endurance athletes exhibit a distinct metabolic profile that reflects steroid biosynthesis, fatty acid metabolism, oxidative stress, and energy-related metabolites. Replication studies are warranted to confirm differences in the metabolic profiles associated with athletes’ elite performance in independent data sets, aiming ultimately for deeper understanding of the underlying biochemical processes that could be utilized as biomarkers with potential therapeutic implications
Non-Abelian statistics and topological quantum information processing in 1D wire networks
Topological quantum computation provides an elegant way around decoherence,
as one encodes quantum information in a non-local fashion that the environment
finds difficult to corrupt. Here we establish that one of the key
operations---braiding of non-Abelian anyons---can be implemented in
one-dimensional semiconductor wire networks. Previous work [Lutchyn et al.,
arXiv:1002.4033 and Oreg et al., arXiv:1003.1145] provided a recipe for driving
semiconducting wires into a topological phase supporting long-sought particles
known as Majorana fermions that can store topologically protected quantum
information. Majorana fermions in this setting can be transported, created, and
fused by applying locally tunable gates to the wire. More importantly, we show
that networks of such wires allow braiding of Majorana fermions and that they
exhibit non-Abelian statistics like vortices in a p+ip superconductor. We
propose experimental setups that enable the Majorana fusion rules to be probed,
along with networks that allow for efficient exchange of arbitrary numbers of
Majorana fermions. This work paves a new path forward in topological quantum
computation that benefits from physical transparency and experimental realism.Comment: 6 pages + 17 pages of Supp. Mat.; 10 figures. Supp. Mat. has doubled
in size to establish results more rigorously; many other improvements as wel
Number magnitude to finger mapping is disembodied and topological
It has been shown that humans associate fingers with numbers because finger counting strategies interact with numerical judgements. At the same time, there is evidence that there is a relation between number magnitude and space as small to large numbers seem to be represented from left to right. In the present study, we investigated whether number magnitude to finger mapping is embodied (related to the order of fingers on the hand) or disembodied (spatial). We let healthy human volunteers name random numbers between 1 and 30, while simultaneously tapping a random finger. Either the hands were placed directly next to each other, 30 cm apart, or the hands were crossed such that the left hand was on the right side of the body mid-line. The results show that naming a smaller number than the previous one was associated with tapping a finger to the left of the previously tapped finger. This shows that there is a spatial (disembodied) mapping between number magnitude and fingers. Furthermore, we show that this mapping is topological rather than metrically scaled
Large-Theta(13) Perturbation Theory of Neutrino Oscillation for Long-Baseline Experiments
The Cervera et al. formula, the best known approximate formula of neutrino
oscillation probability for long-baseline experiments, can be regarded as a
second-order perturbative formula with small expansion parameter epsilon \equiv
Delta m^2_{21} / Delta m^2_{31} \simeq 0.03 under the assumption s_{13} \simeq
epsilon. If theta_{13} is large, as suggested by a candidate nu_{e} event at
T2K as well as the recent global analyses, higher order corrections of s_{13}
to the formula would be needed for better accuracy. We compute the corrections
systematically by formulating a perturbative framework by taking theta_{13} as
s_{13} \sim \sqrt{epsilon} \simeq 0.18, which guarantees its validity in a wide
range of theta_{13} below the Chooz limit. We show on general ground that the
correction terms must be of order epsilon^2. Yet, they nicely fill the mismatch
between the approximate and the exact formulas at low energies and relatively
long baselines. General theorems are derived which serve for better
understanding of delta-dependence of the oscillation probability. Some
interesting implications of the large theta_{13} hypothesis are discussed.Comment: Fig.2 added, 23 pages. Matches to the published versio
HIV-1 competition experiments in humanized mice show that APOBEC3H imposes selective pressure and promotes virus adaptation
APOBEC3 (A3) family proteins are DNA cytosine deaminases recognized for contributing to
HIV-1 restriction and mutation. Prior studies have demonstrated that A3D, A3F, and A3G
enzymes elicit a robust anti-HIV-1 effect in cell cultures and in humanized mouse models.
Human A3H is polymorphic and can be categorized into three phenotypes: stable, intermediate,
and unstable. However, the anti-viral effect of endogenous A3H in vivo has yet to be
examined. Here we utilize a hematopoietic stem cell-transplanted humanized mouse model
and demonstrate that stable A3H robustly affects HIV-1 fitness in vivo. In contrast, the selection
pressure mediated by intermediate A3H is relaxed. Intriguingly, viral genomic RNA
sequencing reveled that HIV-1 frequently adapts to better counteract stable A3H during replication
in humanized mice. Molecular phylogenetic analyses and mathematical modeling
suggest that stable A3H may be a critical factor in human-to-human viral transmission.
Taken together, this study provides evidence that stable variants of A3H impose selective
pressure on HIV-1
The clock genes Period 2 and Cryptochrome 2 differentially balance bone formation
Background: Clock genes and their protein products regulate circadian rhythms in mammals but have also been implicated in various physiological processes, including bone formation. Osteoblasts build new mineralized bone whereas osteoclasts degrade it thereby balancing bone formation. To evaluate the contribution of clock components in this process, we investigated mice mutant in clock genes for a bone volume phenotype. Methodology/Principal Findings: We found that Per2Brdm1 mutant mice as well as mice lacking Cry2-/- displayed significantly increased bone volume at 12 weeks of age, when bone turnover is high. Per2Brdm1 mutant mice showed alterations in parameters specific for osteoblasts whereas mice lacking Cry2-/- displayed changes in osteoclast specific parameters. Interestingly, inactivation of both Per2 and Cry2 genes leads to normal bone volume as observed in wild type animals. Importantly, osteoclast parameters affected due to the lack of Cry2, remained at the level seen in the Cry2-/- mutants despite the simultaneous inactivation of Per2. Conclusions/Significance: This indicates that Cry2 and Per2 affect distinct pathways in the regulation of bone volume with Cry2 influencing mostly the osteoclastic cellular component of bone and Per2 acting on osteoblast parameters
Takayasu's arteritis associated with Crohn's disease: a case report
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>The simultaneous presence of Takayasu's arteritis and Crohn's disease in a patient seems to be rare. To our knowledge, no patient with the combination of Crohn's disease and Takayasu's arteritis has been reported from our region.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>Herein we present the case of a 22-year-old Iranian woman previously diagnosed as Crohn's disease and who had subsequently developed Takayasu's arteritis.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Clinical suspicion, proper imaging, and consideration of the differential diagnosis are important for the correct diagnosis and management of patients with this coincidence.</p
- …