On the S-wave piD-scattering length in the relativistic field theory model of the deuteron

The S-wave scattering length of the strong pion-deuteron (pi D) scattering is calculated in the relativistic field theory model of the deuteron suggested in [1,2].The theoretical result agrees well with the experimental data. The important role of the Delta-resonance contribution to the elastic pi D-scattering is confirmed.Comment: 7 pages, no figures, accepted for publication in Z. Phys.

Ventricular dyssynchrony assessed by gated myocardial perfusion SPECT using a geometrical approach: a feasibility study

Cardiovascular Aspects of Radiolog

Strong Ultraviolet Pulse From a Newborn Type Ia Supernova

Type Ia supernovae are destructive explosions of carbon oxygen white dwarfs. Although they are used empirically to measure cosmological distances, the nature of their progenitors remains mysterious, One of the leading progenitor models, called the single degenerate channel, hypothesizes that a white dwarf accretes matter from a companion star and the resulting increase in its central pressure and temperature ignites thermonuclear explosion. Here we report observations of strong but declining ultraviolet emission from a Type Ia supernova within four days of its explosion. This emission is consistent with theoretical expectations of collision between material ejected by the supernova and a companion star, and therefore provides evidence that some Type Ia supernovae arise from the single degenerate channel.Comment: Accepted for publication on the 21 May 2015 issue of Natur

Hallux valgus angle as main predictor for correction of hallux valgus

Contains fulltext : 70112.pdf ( ) (Open Access)BACKGROUND: It is recognized that different types of hallux valgus exist. Classification occurs with radiographic and clinical parameters. Severity of different parameters is used in algorithms to choose between different surgical procedures. Because there is no consensus about each parameter nor their cut-off point we conducted this study to analyze the influence of these variables on the postoperative hallux valgus angle. METHODS: After informed consent 115 patients (136 feet) were included. Bunionectomy, osteotomy, lateralization of the distal fragment, lateral release and medial capsulorrhaphy were performed in all patients. Data were collected on preoperative and postoperative HVA, IMA and DMAA measurements. Forty cases were included since our findings in a previous article 1, therefore, current data concern an expanded study group with longer follow-up and were not published before. At least two-year follow-up data were evaluated with logistic regression and independent t-tests. RESULTS: Preoperative HVA was significant for prediction of postoperative HVA in logistic regression. IMA and DMAA were not significant for prediction of postoperative HVA in logistic regression, although they were significantly increased in larger deformities. In patients with preoperative HVA of 37 degrees or more, satisfactory correction could be obtained in 65 percent. The other nine of these 26 patients developed subluxation. CONCLUSION: The preoperative HVA was the main radiological predictor for correction of hallux valgus, correction rate declined from preoperative HVA of 37. IMA and DMAA did have a minor role in patients with preoperative HVA lower than 37 degrees, however, likely contributed to preoperative HVA of 37 degrees or more

Characterization of Lifestyle in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3 and Association with Disease Severity

BACKGROUND: Lifestyle could influence the course of hereditary ataxias, but representative data are missing. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to characterize lifestyle in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) and investigate possible associations with disease parameters. METHODS: In a prospective cohort study, data on smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, physiotherapy, and body mass index (BMI) were collected from 243 patients with SCA3 and 119 controls and tested for associations with age of onset, disease severity, and progression. RESULTS: Compared with controls, patients with SCA3 were less active and consumed less alcohol. Less physical activity and alcohol abstinence were associated with more severe disease, but not with progression rates or age of onset. Smoking, BMI, or physiotherapy did not correlate with disease parameters. CONCLUSION: Differences in lifestyle factors of patients with SCA3 and controls as well as associations of lifestyle factors with disease severity are likely driven by the influence of symptoms on behavior. No association between lifestyle and disease progression was detected. © 2021 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society

A multipurpose immobilized biocatalyst with pectinase, xylanase and cellulase activities

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The use of immobilized enzymes for catalyzing various biotransformations is now a widely used approach. In recent years, cross-linked enzyme aggregates (CLEAs) have emerged as a novel and versatile biocatalyst design. The present work deals with the preparation of a CLEA from a commercial preparation, Pectinex™ Ultra SP-L, which contains pectinase, xylanase and cellulase activities. The CLEA obtained could be used for any of the enzyme activities. The CLEA was characterized in terms of kinetic parameters, thermal stability and reusability in the context of all the three enzyme activities.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Complete precipitation of the three enzyme activities was obtained with n-propanol. When resulting precipitates were subjected to cross-linking with 5 mM glutaraldehyde, the three activities initially present (pectinase, xylanase and cellulase) were completely retained after cross-linking. The V_max/K_mvalues were increased from 11, 75 and 16 to 14, 80 and 19 in case of pectinase, xylanase and cellulase activities respectively. The thermal stability was studied at 50°C, 60°C and 70°C for pectinase, xylanase and cellulase respectively. Half-lives were improved from 17, 22 and 32 minutes to 180, 82 and 91 minutes for pectinase, xylanase and cellulase respectively. All three of the enzymes in CLEA could be reused three times without any loss of activity.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>A single multipurpose biocatalyst has been designed which can be used for carrying out three different and independent reactions; 1) hydrolysis of pectin, 2) hydrolysis of xylan and 3) hydrolysis of cellulose. The preparation is more stable at higher temperatures as compared to the free enzymes.</p

Management of subclinical hyperthyroidism

The ideal approach for adequate management of subclinical hyperthyroidism (low levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone [TSH] and normal thyroid hormone level) is a matter of intense debate among endocrinologists. The prevalence of low serum TSH levels ranges between 0.5% in children and 15% in the elderly population. Mild subclinical hyperthyroid - ism is more common than severe subclinical hyperthyroidism. Transient suppression of TSH secretion may occur because of several reasons; thus, corroboration of results from different assessments is essential in such cases. During differential diagnosis of hyperthy - roidism, pituitary or hypothalamic disease, euthyroid sick syndrome, and drug-mediated suppression of TSH must be ruled out. A low plasma TSH value is also typically seen in the first trimester of gestation. Factitial or iatrogenic TSH inhibition caused by excessive intake of levothyroxine should be excluded by checking the patient’s medication history. If these nonthyroidal causes are ruled out during differential diagnosis, either transient or long-term endogenous thyroid hormone excess, usually caused by Graves’ disease or nodular goiter, should be considered as the cause of low circulating TSH levels. We recommend the following 6-step process for the assessment and treatment of this common hormonal disorder: 1) confirmation, 2) evaluation of severity, 3) investiga - tion of the cause, 4) assessment of potential complications, 5) evaluation of the neces - sity of treatment, and 6) if necessary, selection of the most appropriate treatment. In conclusion, management of subclinical hyperthyroidism merits careful monitoring through regular assessment of thyroid function. Treatment is mandatory in older patients (> 65 years) or in presence of comorbidities (such as osteoporosis and atrial fibrillation

The Hubble Constant

I review the current state of determinations of the Hubble constant, which gives the length scale of the Universe by relating the expansion velocity of objects to their distance. There are two broad categories of measurements. The first uses individual astrophysical objects which have some property that allows their intrinsic luminosity or size to be determined, or allows the determination of their distance by geometric means. The second category comprises the use of all-sky cosmic microwave background, or correlations between large samples of galaxies, to determine information about the geometry of the Universe and hence the Hubble constant, typically in a combination with other cosmological parameters. Many, but not all, object-based measurements give $H_0$ values of around 72-74km/s/Mpc , with typical errors of 2-3km/s/Mpc. This is in mild discrepancy with CMB-based measurements, in particular those from the Planck satellite, which give values of 67-68km/s/Mpc and typical errors of 1-2km/s/Mpc. The size of the remaining systematics indicate that accuracy rather than precision is the remaining problem in a good determination of the Hubble constant. Whether a discrepancy exists, and whether new physics is needed to resolve it, depends on details of the systematics of the object-based methods, and also on the assumptions about other cosmological parameters and which datasets are combined in the case of the all-sky methods.Comment: Extensively revised and updated since the 2007 version: accepted by Living Reviews in Relativity as a major (2014) update of LRR 10, 4, 200

Inhibition of Post-Synaptic Kv7/KCNQ/M Channels Facilitates Long-Term Potentiation in the Hippocampus

Activation of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChR) facilitates the induction of synaptic plasticity and enhances cognitive function. In the hippocampus, M1 mAChR on CA1 pyramidal cells inhibit both small conductance Ca2+-activated KCa2 potassium channels and voltage-activated Kv7 potassium channels. Inhibition of KCa2 channels facilitates long-term potentiation (LTP) by enhancing Ca2+calcium influx through postsynaptic NMDA receptors (NMDAR). Inhibition of Kv7 channels is also reported to facilitate LTP but the mechanism of action is unclear. Here, we show that inhibition of Kv7 channels with XE-991 facilitated LTP induced by theta burst pairing at Schaffer collateral commissural synapses in rat hippocampal slices. Similarly, negating Kv7 channel conductance using dynamic clamp methodologies also facilitated LTP. Negation of Kv7 channels by XE-991 or dynamic clamp did not enhance synaptic NMDAR activation in response to theta burst synaptic stimulation. Instead, Kv7 channel inhibition increased the amplitude and duration of the after-depolarisation following a burst of action potentials. Furthermore, the effects of XE-991 were reversed by re-introducing a Kv7-like conductance with dynamic clamp. These data reveal that Kv7 channel inhibition promotes NMDAR opening during LTP induction by enhancing depolarisation during and after bursts of postsynaptic action potentials. Thus, during the induction of LTP M1 mAChRs enhance NMDAR opening by two distinct mechanisms namely inhibition of KCa2 and Kv7 channels

The Distribution of Dust and Gas in Elliptical Galaxies

Results from IRAS and recent optical CCD surveys are examined to discuss the distribution and origin of dust and ionized gas in elliptical galaxies. In strong contrast with the situation among spiral galaxies, masses of dust in elliptical galaxies as derived from optical extinction are an order of magnitude LOWER than those derived from IRAS data. I find that this dilemma can be resolved by assuming the presence of a diffusely distributed component of dust which is not detectable in optical data. The morphology of dust lanes and their association with ionized gas in elliptical galaxies argues for an external origin of BOTH components of the ISM.Comment: Invited talk given at conference on "NEW EXTRAGALACTIC PERSPECTIVES IN THE NEW SOUTH AFRICA: Changing Perceptions of the Morphology, Dust Content and Dust-Gas Ratios in Galaxies", Held in Johannesburg, South Africa, during January 22-26, 1996. Proceedings will be edited by D.L. Block and published by Kluwer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands. uuencoded, gzipped LaTeX file of 8 pages; figures included as PostScript files (enclosed). Uses crckapb.sty (enclosed) and psfig.st