Test of Quantum Action for Inverse Square Potential

We present a numerical study of the quantum action previously introduced as a parametrisation of Q.M. transition amplitudes. We address the questions: Is the quantum action possibly an exact parametrisation in the whole range of transition times ($0 < T < \infty$)? Is the presence of potential terms beyond those occuring in the classical potential required? What is the error of the parametrisation estimated from the numerical fit? How about convergence and stability of the fitting method (dependence on grid points, resolution, initial conditions, internal precision etc.)? Further we compare two methods of numerical determination of the quantum action: (i) global fit of the Q.M. transition amplitudes and (ii) flow equation. As model we consider the inverse square potential, for which the Q.M. transition amplitudes are analytically known. We find that the relative error of the parametrisation starts from zero at T=0 increases to about $10^{-3}$ at $T=1/E_{gr}$ and then decreases to zero when $T \to \infty$. Second, we observe stability of the quantum action under variation of the control parameters. Finally, the flow equation method works well in the regime of large $T$ giving stable results under variation of initial data and consistent with the global fit method.Comment: Text (LaTeX), Figures(ps

Report of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Working Group on epigenetics and hypertension

Hypertension, defined as a condition associated with 65140-mm Hg systolic blood pressure or 6590-mm Hg diastolic blood pressure, affects >1 billion people worldwide,1 and in 2009 it cost the US healthcare system more than $73 billion.2 Despite the availability of many antihypertensive therapies, individual responses vary, and efficacy remains a concern. Current treatments have yielded only modest reductions in the overall disease risk even in countries where therapeutics are available and affordable. The initiating causes and the pathogenic mechanisms for disease and its comorbidities remain largely unknown, and prognostic markers for adult hypertension that could improve its diagnosis, prevention, and, ultimately, its management are not yet available. As a result, 4828$3.6 trillion more over the next 10 years.

Risk profiles and one-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in India: Insights from the GARFIELD-AF Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P < 0.001). Diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) were prevalent in 36.2% and 28.1% of patients as compared with global prevalence of 22.2% and 21.6%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Antiplatelet therapy was the most common antithrombotic treatment in India. With increasing stroke risk, however, patients were more likely to receive oral anticoagulant therapy [mainly vitamin K antagonist (VKA)], but average international normalized ratio (INR) was lower among Indian patients [median INR value 1.6 (interquartile range {IQR}: 1.3-2.3) versus 2.3 (IQR 1.8-2.8) (P < 0.001)]. Compared with other countries, patients from India had markedly higher rates of all-cause mortality [7.68 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.32-9.35) vs 4.34 (4.16-4.53), P < 0.0001], while rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were lower after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to previously published registries from India, the GARFIELD-AF registry describes clinical profiles and outcomes in Indian patients with AF of a different etiology. The registry data show that compared to the rest of the world, Indian AF patients are younger in age and have more diabetes and CAD. Patients with a higher stroke risk are more likely to receive anticoagulation therapy with VKA but are underdosed compared with the global average in the GARFIELD-AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362

Advances and novel developments in environmental influences on the development of atopic diseases.

Although genetic factors play a role in the etiology of atopic disease, the rapid increases in the prevalence of these diseases over the last few decades suggest that environmental, rather than genetic factors are the driving force behind the increasing prevalence. In modern societies, there is increased time spent indoors, use of antibiotics, and consumption of processed foods and decreased contact with farm animals and pets, which limit exposure to environmental allergens, infectious parasitic worms, and microbes. The lack of exposure to these factors is thought to prevent proper education and training of the immune system. Increased industrialization and urbanization have brought about increases in organic and inorganic pollutants. In addition, Caesarian birth, birth order, increased use of soaps and detergents, tobacco smoke exposure and psychosomatic factors are other factors that have been associated with increased rate of allergic diseases. Here, we review current knowledge on the environmental factors that have been shown to affect the development of allergic diseases and the recent developments in the field

Differentiating the roles of STAT5B and STAT5A in human CD4(+) T cells

Developmen

Allergen immunotherapy for IgE-mediated food allergy: Protocol for a systematic review

Background: The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) is in the process of developing the EAACI Guidelines for Allergen Immunotherapy (AIT) for IgE-mediated food allergy. We seek to critically assess the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and safety of AIT in IgE-mediated food allergy. Methods: We will undertake a systematic review, which will involve searching international biomedical databases for published, in progress and unpublished evidence. Studies will be independently screened against pre-defined eligibility criteria and critically appraised using established instruments. Data will be descriptively and, if possible and appropriate, quantitatively synthesised. Discussion: The findings from this review will be used to inform the development of recommendations for EAACI&apos;s Guidelines on AIT. © 2016 Dhami et al

Allergen immunotherapy for IgE-mediated food allergy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) is developing Guidelines for Allergen Immunotherapy (AIT) for IgE-mediated Food Allergy. To inform the development of clinical recommendations, we sought to critically assess evidence on the effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness of AIT in the management of food allergy. Methods: We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis that involved searching nine international electronic databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and nonrandomized studies (NRS). Eligible studies were independently assessed by two reviewers against predefined eligibility criteria. The quality of studies was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool for RCTs and the Cochrane ACROBAT-NRS tool for quasi-RCTs. Random-effects meta-analyses were undertaken, with planned subgroup and sensitivity analyses. Results: We identified 1814 potentially relevant papers from which we selected 31 eligible studies, comprising of 25 RCTs and six NRS, studying a total of 1259 patients. Twenty-five trials evaluated oral immunotherapy (OIT), five studies investigated sublingual immunotherapy, and one study evaluated epicutaneous immunotherapy. The majority of these studies were in children. Twenty-seven studies assessed desensitization, and eight studies investigated sustained unresponsiveness postdiscontinuation of AIT. Meta-analyses demonstrated a substantial benefit in terms of desensitization (risk ratio (RR) = 0.16, 95% CI 0.10, 0.26) and suggested, but did not confirm sustained unresponsiveness (RR = 0.29, 95% CI 0.08, 1.13). Only one study reported on disease-specific quality of life (QoL), which reported no comparative results between OIT and control group. Meta-analyses revealed that the risk of experiencing a systemic adverse reaction was higher in those receiving AIT, with a more marked increase in the risk of local adverse reactions. Sensitivity analysis excluding those studies judged to be at high risk of bias demonstrated the robustness of summary estimates of effectiveness and safety of AIT for food allergy. None of the studies reported data on health economic analyses. Conclusions: AIT may be effective in raising the threshold of reactivity to a range of foods in children with IgE-mediated food allergy whilst receiving (i.e. desensitization) and post-discontinuation of AIT. It is, however, associated with a modest increased risk in serious systemic adverse reactions and a substantial increase in minor local adverse reactions. More data are needed in relation to adults, long term effects, the impact on QoL and the cost-effectiveness of AIT. © 2017 The Authors. Allergy Published by John Wiley &amp; Sons Ltd

Loss of regulatory capacity in Treg cells following rhinovirus infection

Background: Respiratory infections with rhinoviruses (RV) are strongly associated with development and exacerbations of asthma, and they pose an additional health risk for subjects with allergy. Objective: How RV infections and chronic allergic diseases are linked and what role RV plays in the breaking of tolerance in regulatory T (Treg) cells is unknown. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effects of RV on Treg cells. Methods: Treg cells were isolated from subjects with asthma and controls after experimental infection with the RV-A16 (RV16) and analyzed with next-generation sequencing. Additionally, suppression assays, quantitative PCR assays, and protein quantifications were performed with Treg cells after in vitro RV16 infection. Results: RV16 induced a strong antiviral response in Treg cells from subjects with asthma and controls, including the upregulation of IFI44L, MX1, ISG15, IRF7, and STAT1. In subjects with asthma, the inflammatory response was exaggerated and showed a dysregulated immune response compared with that in the controls. Furthermore, subjects with asthma failed to upregulate several immunosuppressive molecules such as CTLA4 and CD69, and they upregulated the inflammasome-related genes PYCARD and AIM2. Additionally, RV16 reduced the suppressive capacity of Treg cells from healthy subjects and subjects with asthma in vitro and increased TH2 cell–type cytokine production. Conclusions: Treg cells from healthy subjects and subjects with asthma displayed an antiviral response after RV infection and showed reduced suppressive capacity. These data suggest that Treg cell function might be altered or impaired during RV infections, which might play an important role in the association between RV and the development of asthma and asthma exacerbations. © 2021 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma &amp; Immunolog