3,449 research outputs found
A photonic which-path entangler based on longitudinal cavity-qubit coupling
A modulated longitudinal cavity-qubit coupling can be used to control the
path taken by a multiphoton wavepacket, resulting in a qubit--which-path (QWP)
entangled state. For QWP states, the fundamental limit to precision in
interferometry (the quantum Cram\'er-Rao bound) is better than for either NOON
states or entangled coherent states having the same average photon number. QWP
states can also be used to generate long-range multipartite entanglement using
strategies for interfacing discrete- and continuous-variable
degrees-of-freedom
Cross-species hybridisation of pig RNA to human nylon microarrays
BACKGROUND: The objective of this research was to investigate the reproducibility of cross-species microarray hybridisation. Comparisons between same- and cross-species hybridisations were also made. Nine hybridisations between a single pig skeletal muscle RNA sample and three human cDNA nylon microarrays were completed. Three replicate hybridisations of two different amounts of pig RNA, and of human skeletal muscle RNA were completed on three additional microarrays. RESULTS: Reproducibility of microarray hybridisations of pig cDNA to human microarrays was high, as determined by Spearman and Pearson correlation coefficients and a Kappa statistic. Variability among replicate hybridisations was similar for human and pig data, indicating the reproducibility of results were not compromised in cross-species hybridisations. The concordance between data generated from hybridisations using pig and human skeletal muscle RNA was high, further supporting the use of human microarrays for the analysis of gene expression in the pig. No systematic effect of stripping and re-using nylon microarrays was found, and variability across microarrays was minimal. CONCLUSION: The majority of genes generated highly reproducible data in cross-species microarray hybridisations, although approximately 6% were identified as highly variable. Experimental designs that include at least three replicate hybridisations for each experimental treatment will enable the variability of individual genes to be considered appropriately. The use of cross-species microarray analysis looks promising. However, additional validation is needed to determine the specificity of cross-species hybridisations, and the validity of results
Distinction of disorder, classical and quantum vibrational contributions to atomic mean-square amplitudes in dielectric pentachloronitrobenzene
The solid-state molecular disorder of pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB) and its
role in causing anomalous dielectric properties are investigated. Normal
coordinate analysis (NCA) of atomic mean-square displacement parameters (ADPs)
is employed to distinguish disorder contributions from classical and
quantum-mechanical vibrational contributions. The analysis relies on
multitemperature (5-295 K) single-crystal neutron-diffraction data. Vibrational
frequencies extracted from the temperature dependence of the ADPs are in good
agreement with THz spectroscopic data. Aspects of the static disorder revealed
by this work, primarily tilting and displacement of the molecules, are compared
with corresponding results from previous, much more in-depth and time-consuming
Monte Carlo simulations; their salient findings are reproduced by this work,
demonstrating that the faster NCA approach provides reliable constraints for
the interpretation of diffuse scattering. The dielectric properties of PCNB can
thus be rationalized by an interpretation of the temperature-dependent ADPs in
terms of thermal motion and molecular disorder. The use of atomic displacement
parameters in the NCA approach is nonetheless hostage to reliable neutron data.
The success of this study demonstrates that state-of-the-art single-crystal
Laue neutron diffraction affords sufficiently fast the accurate data for this
type of study. In general terms, the validation of this work opens up the field
for numerous studies of solid-state molecular disorder in organic materials.Comment: Now published in Physical Review
Chronic pain is common in mitochondrial disease
In the absence of cure, the main objectives in the management of patients with mitochondrial disease are symptom control and prevention of complications. While pain is a complicating symptom in many chronic diseases and is known to have a clear impact on quality of life, its prevalence and severity in people with genetically confirmed mitochondrial disease is unknown. We conducted a survey of pain symptoms in patients with genetically confirmed mitochondrial disease from two UK mitochondrial disease specialist centres. The majority (66.7%) of patients had chronic pain which was primarily of neuropathic nature. Presence of pain did not significantly impact overall quality of life. The m.3243A>G MTTL1 mutation was associated with higher overall pain severity and increased the likelihood of neuropathic pain compared to other causative nuclear and mitochondrial gene mutations. Although previously not considered a core symptom in people with mitochondrial disease, pain is a common clinical manifestation, frequently of neuropathic nature, and influenced by genotype. Given the impact on quality of life and treatment options available, pain-related symptoms should be carefully characterised and actively managed in this patient population
A randomized clinical trial of the immunogenicity of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine compared to 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine in frail, hospitalized elderly
Background: Elderly people do not mount strong immune responses to vaccines. We compared 23-valent capsular polysaccharide (23vPPV) alone versus 7-valent conjugate (PCV7) vaccine followed by 23vPPV 6 months later in hospitalized elderly. Methods: Participants were randomized to receive 23vPPV or PCV7-23vPPV. Antibodies against serotypes 3, 4, 6A, 6B, 9V, 14, 18C, 19A, 19F, 23F were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) and opsonophagocytic (OPA) assays at baseline, 6 months and 12 months. Results: Of 312 recruited, between 40% and 72% of subjects had undetectable OPA titres at baseline. After one dose, PCV7 recipients had significantly higher responses to serotypes 9V (both assays) and 23F (OPA only), and 23vPPV recipients had significantly higher responses to serotype 3 (ELISA), 19F and 19A (OPA only). In subjects with undetectable OPA titres at baseline, a proportionately greater rise in OPA titre (P<0.01) was seen for all serotypes after both vaccines. The GMT ratio of OPA was significantly higher at 12 months in the PCV7-23vPPV group for serotypes 6A, 9V, 18C and 23F. OPA titre levels for these serotypes increased moderately after 6 months, whereas immunity waned in the 23vPPV only arm. Conclusion: We did not show overwhelming benefit of one vaccine over the other. Low baseline immunity does not preclude a robust immune response, reiterating the importance of vaccinating the frail elderly. A schedule of PCV7-23vPPV prevents waning of antibody, suggesting that both vaccines could be useful in the elderly. Follow up studies are needed to determine persistence of immunity. Trial Registration: The Australian Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12607000387426 © 2014 MacIntyre et al
Nematode-Induced Changes of Transporter Gene Expression in \u3ci\u3eArabidopsis\u3c/i\u3e Roots
Root-knot plant-parasitic nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) account for much of the damage inflicted to plants by nematodes. The feeding sites of these nematodes consist of âgiantâ cells, which have characteristics of transfer cells found in other parts of plants. Increased transport activity across the plasma membrane is a hallmark of transfer cells, and giant cells provide nutrition for nematodes; therefore, we initiated a study to identify the transport processes that contribute to the development and function of nematode- induced feeding sites. The study was conducted over a 4-week period, during which time the large changes in the development of giant cells were documented. The Arabidopsis ATH1 GeneChip was used to identify the many transporter genes that were regulated by nematode infestation. Expression of 50 transporter genes from 18 different gene families was significantly changed upon nematode infestation. Sixteen transporter genes were studied in more detail using real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction to determine transcript abundance in nematode- induced galls that contain giant cells and uninfested regions of the root. Certain genes were expressed primarily in galls whereas others were expressed primarily in the uninfested regions of the root, and a third group was expressed evenly throughout the root. Multiple transport processes are regulated and these may play important roles in nematode feeding-site establishment and maintenance
How to suppress undesired synchronization
It is delightful to observe the emergence of synchronization in the blinking
of fireflies to attract partners and preys. Other charming examples of
synchronization can also be found in a wide range of phenomena such as, e.g.,
neurons firing, lasers cascades, chemical reactions, and opinion formation.
However, in many situations the formation of a coherent state is not pleasant
and should be mitigated. For example, the onset of synchronization can be the
root of epileptic seizures, traffic congestion in communication networks, and
the collapse of constructions. Here we propose the use of contrarians to
suppress undesired synchronization. We perform a comparative study of different
strategies, either requiring local or total knowledge of the system, and show
that the most efficient one solely requires local information. Our results also
reveal that, even when the distribution of neighboring interactions is narrow,
significant improvement in mitigation is observed when contrarians sit at the
highly connected elements. The same qualitative results are obtained for
artificially generated networks as well as two real ones, namely, the Routers
of the Internet and a neuronal network
A polarized neutron-scattering study of the Cooper-pair moment in Sr2RuO4
We report a study of the magnetization density in the mixed state of the
unconventional superconductor S2RuO4. On entering the superconducting state we
find no change in the magnitude or distribution of the induced moment for a
magnetic field of 1 Tesla applied within the RuO2 planes. Our results are
consistent with a spin-triplet Cooper pairing with spins lying in the basal
plane. This is in contrast with similar experiments performed on conventional
and high-Tc superconductors.Comment: Submitted to Physical Review Letter
Prevention of noncommunicable diseases by interventions in the preconception period: A FIGO position paper for action by healthcare practitioners
With the increase in obesity prevalence among women of reproductive age globally, the risks of type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes, preâeclampsia, and other conditions are rising, with detrimental effects on maternal and newborn health. The period before pregnancy is increasingly recognized as crucial for addressing weight management and reducing malnutrition (both underâ and overnutrition) in both parents to reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in the mother as well as the passage of risk to her offspring. Healthcare practitioners, including obstetricians, gynecologists, midwives, and general practitioners, have an important role to play in supporting women in planning a pregnancy and achieving healthy nutrition and weight before pregnancy. In this position paper, the FIGO Pregnancy Obesity and Nutrition Initiative provides an overview of the evidence for preconception clinical guidelines to reduce the risk of NCDs in mothers and their offspring. It encourages healthcare practitioners to initiate a dialogue on womenâs health, nutrition, and weight management before conception. While acknowledging the fundamental importance of the wider social and environmental determinants of health, this paper focuses on a simple set of recommendations for clinical practice that can be used even in short consultations. The recommendations can be contextualized based on local cultural and dietary practices as part of a systemâwide public health approach to influence the wider determinants as well as individual factors influencing preconception health
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