c-axis Josephson Tunnelling in Twinned and Untwinned YBCO-Pb Junctions

Within a microscopic two band model of planes and chains with a pairing potential in the planes and off diagonal pairing between planes and chains we find that the chains make the largest contribution to the Josephson tunnelling current and that through them the d-wave part of the gap contributes to the current. This is contrary to the usual assumption that for a d-wave tetragonal superconductor the c-axis Josephson current for incoherent tunnelling into an s-wave superconductor is zero while that of a d-wave orthorhombic superconductor with a small s-wave component to its gap it is small but non-zero. Nevertheless it has been argued that the effect of twins in YBCO would lead to cancellation between pairs of twins and so the observation of a current in c-axis YBCO-Pb experiments is evidence against a d-wave type order parameter. We argue that both theory and experiment give evidence that the two twin orientations are not necessarily equally abundant and that the ratio of tunnelling currents in twinned and untwinned materials should be related to the relative abundance of the two twin orientations.Comment: 6 pages, RevTeX 3.0, 15 PostScript figur

On the Apparent Orbital Inclination Change of the Extrasolar Transiting Planet TrES-2b

On June 15, 2009 UT the transit of TrES-2b was detected using the University of Arizona's 1.55 meter Kuiper Telescope with 2.0-2.5 millimag RMS accuracy in the I-band. We find a central transit time of $T_c = 2454997.76286 \pm0.00035$ HJD, an orbital period of $P = 2.4706127 \pm 0.0000009$ days, and an inclination angle of $i = 83^{\circ}.92 \pm 0.05$, which is consistent with our re-fit of the original I-band light curve of O'Donovan et al. (2006) where we find $i = 83^{\circ}.84 \pm0.05$. We calculate an insignificant inclination change of $\Delta i = -0^{\circ}.08 \pm 0.07$ over the last 3 years, and as such, our observations rule out, at the $\sim 11 \sigma$ level, the apparent change of orbital inclination to $i_{predicted} = 83^{\circ}.35 \pm0.1$ as predicted by Mislis and Schmitt (2009) and Mislis et al. (2010) for our epoch. Moreover, our analysis of a recently published Kepler Space Telescope light curve (Gilliland et al. 2010) for TrES-2b finds an inclination of $i = 83^{\circ}.91 \pm0.03$ for a similar epoch. These Kepler results definitively rule out change in $i$ as a function of time. Indeed, we detect no significant changes in any of the orbital parameters of TrES-2b.Comment: 19 pages, 1 table, 7 figures. Re-submitted to ApJ, January 14, 201

Cmah-dystrophin deficient mdx mice display an accelerated cardiac phenotype that is improved following peptide-PMO exon skipping treatment

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is caused by loss of dystrophin protein, leading to progressive muscle weakness and premature death due to respiratory and/or cardiac complications. Cardiac involvement is characterized by progressive dilated cardiomyopathy, decreased fractional shortening and metabolic dysfunction involving reduced metabolism of fatty acids—the major cardiac metabolic substrate. Several mouse models have been developed to study molecular and pathological consequences of dystrophin deficiency, but do not recapitulate all aspects of human disease pathology and exhibit a mild cardiac phenotype. Here we demonstrate that Cmah (cytidine monophosphate-sialic acid hydroxylase)-deficient mdx mice (Cmah−/−;mdx) have an accelerated cardiac phenotype compared to the established mdx model. Cmah−/−;mdx mice display earlier functional deterioration, specifically a reduction in right ventricle (RV) ejection fraction and stroke volume (SV) at 12 weeks of age and decreased left ventricle diastolic volume with subsequent reduced SV compared to mdx mice by 24 weeks. They further show earlier elevation of cardiac damage markers for fibrosis (Ctgf), oxidative damage (Nox4) and haemodynamic load (Nppa). Cardiac metabolic substrate requirement was assessed using hyperpolarized magnetic resonance spectroscopy indicating increased in vivo glycolytic flux in Cmah−/−;mdx mice. Early upregulation of mitochondrial genes (Ucp3 and Cpt1) and downregulation of key glycolytic genes (Pdk1, Pdk4, Ppara), also denote disturbed cardiac metabolism and shift towards glucose utilization in Cmah−/−;mdx mice. Moreover, we show long-term treatment with peptide-conjugated exon skipping antisense oligonucleotides (20-week regimen), resulted in 20% cardiac dystrophin protein restoration and significantly improved RV cardiac function. Therefore, Cmah−/−;mdx mice represent an appropriate model for evaluating cardiac benefit of novel DMD therapeutics

Asymmetric magnetic interference patterns in 0-pi Josephson junctions

We examine the magnetic interference patterns of Josephson junctions with a region of 0- and of pi-phase shift. Such junctions have recently been realized as c-axis YBCO-Pb junctions with a single twin boundary in YBCO. We show that in general the junction generates self-fields which introduces an asymmetry in the critical current under reversal of the magnetic field. Numerical calculations of these asymmetries indicate they account well for the unexplained features observed in single twin boundary junctions.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Electronic states on a twin boundary of a d-wave superconductor

We show that an induced $s$-wave harmonic in the superconducting gap of an orthorhombic $d_{x^2-y^2}$ superconductor strongly affects the excitation spectrum near a twinning plane. In particular, it yields bound states of zero energy with areal density proportional to the relative weight of the $s$-wave component. An unusual scattering process responsible for the thermal conductivity across the twin boundary at low temperatures is also identified.Comment: 4 pages, ReVTEX, 2 PS-figure

MiR-193b promotes autophagy and non-apoptotic cell death in oesophageal cancer cells

Background: Successful treatment of oesophageal cancer is hampered by recurrent drug resistant disease. We have previously demonstrated the importance of apoptosis and autophagy for the recovery of oesophageal cancer cells following drug treatment. When apoptosis (with autophagy) is induced, these cells are chemosensitive and will not recover following chemotherapy treatment. In contrast, when cancer cells exhibit only autophagy and limited Type II cell death, they are chemoresistant and recover following drug withdrawal. Methods: MicroRNA (miRNA) expression profiling of an oesophageal cancer cell line panel was used to identify miRNAs that were important in the regulation of apoptosis and autophagy. The effects of miRNA overexpression on cell death mechanisms and recovery were assessed in the chemoresistant (autophagy inducing) KYSE450 oesophageal cancer cells. Results: MiR-193b was the most differentially expressed miRNA between the chemosensitive and chemoresistant cell lines with higher expression in chemosensitive apoptosis inducing cell lines. Colony formation assays showed that overexpression of miR-193b significantly impedes the ability of KYSE450 cells to recover following 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) treatment. The critical mRNA targets of miR-193b are unknown but target prediction and siRNA data analysis suggest that it may mediate some of its effects through stathmin 1 regulation. Apoptosis was not involved in the enhanced cytotoxicity. Overexpression of miR-193b in these cells induced autophagic flux and non-apoptotic cell death. Conclusion: These results highlight the importance of miR-193b in determining oesophageal cancer cell viability and demonstrate an enhancement of chemotoxicity that is independent of apoptosis induction

Transitional palliative care interventions for older adults with advanced non-malignant diseases and frailty: a systematic review

Purpose: To identify transitional palliative care (TPC) interventions for older adults with non-malignant chronic diseases and complex conditions. Design/methodology/approach: A systematic review of the literature was conducted. CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Embase and Pubmed databases were searched for studies reporting TPC interventions for older adults, published between 2002 and 2019. The Crowe Critical Appraisal Tool was used for quality appraisal. Findings: A total of six studies were included. Outcomes related to TPC interventions were grouped into three categories: healthcare system-related outcomes (rehospitalisation, length of stay [LOS] and emergency department [ED] visits), patient-related outcomes and family/carer important outcomes. Overall, TPC interventions were associated with lower readmission rates and LOS, improved quality of life and better decision-making concerning hospice care among families. Outcomes for ED visits were unclear. Research limitations/implications: Positive outcomes related to healthcare services (including readmissions and LOS), patients (quality of life) and families (decision-making) were reported. However, the number of studies supporting the evidence were limited. Originality/value: Studies examining the effectiveness of existing care models to support transitions for those in need of palliative care are limited. This systematic literature review identified and appraised interventions aimed at improving transitions to palliative care in older adults with advanced non-malignant diseases or frailty

The LAEX and NASA portals for CoRoT public data

* Aims. We describe here the main functionalities of the LAEX (Laboratorio de Astrofisica Estelar y Exoplanetas/Laboratory for Stellar Astrophysics and Exoplanets) and NASA portals for CoRoT Public Data. The CoRoT archive at LAEX was opened to the community in January 2009 and is managed in the framework of the Spanish Virtual Observatory. NStED (NASA Star and Exoplanet Database) serves as the CoRoT portal for the US astronomical community. NStED is a general purpose stellar and exoplanet archive with the aim of providing support for NASA planet finding and characterisation goals, and the planning and support of NASA and other space missions. CoRoT data at LAEX and NStED can be accessed at http://sdc.laeff.inta.es/corotfa/ and http://nsted.ipac.caltech.edu,respectively. * Methods. Based on considerable experience with astronomical archives, the aforementioned archives are designed with the aim of delivering science-quality data in a simple and efficient way. * Results. LAEX and NStED not only provide access to CoRoT Public Data but furthermore serve a variety of observed and calculated astrophysical data. In particular, NStED provides scientifically validated information on stellar and planetary data related to the search for and characterization of extrasolar planets, and LAEX makes any information from Virtual Observatory services available to the astronomical community.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

An International Expert Delphi Consensus to Develop Dedicated Geriatric Radiation Oncology Curriculum Learning Outcomes.

PURPOSE: The management of older adults with cancer is rapidly becoming a significant challenge in radiation oncology (RO) practice. The education of future radiation oncologists in geriatric oncology is fundamental to ensuring that older adults receive high-quality care. Currently RO trainees receive little training and education in geriatric oncology. The objective of this study was to define core geriatric RO curriculum learning outcomes relevant to RO trainees worldwide. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A 2-stage modified Delphi consensus was conducted. Stage 1 involved the formation of an expert reference panel (ERP) of multiprofessional experts in geriatric oncology and/or RO and the compilation of a potential geriatric RO learning outcomes set. Stage 2 involved 3 iterative rounds: round 1 and round 2 (both online surveys), and an intervening ERP round. These aimed at identifying and refining ideal geriatric RO learning outcomes. Invited participants for round 1 and 2 included oncology health care professionals with expertise across RO, geriatric oncology, and/or education and consumers. Predefined Delphi consensus definitions were applied to the results of rounds 1 and 2. RESULTS: An ERP of 11 experts in geriatric oncology and/or RO was formed. Seventy potential knowledge- and skill-based learning outcomes were identified. In round 1, 103 of 179 invited eligible Delphi participants completed the survey (58% response rate). The ERP round was conducted, resulting in the exclusion of 28 learning outcomes. In round 2, 54 of 103 completed the survey (52% response rate). This identified a final total of 33 geriatric RO learning outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The geriatric RO learning outcomes described in this study form an international consensus that can inform RO training bodies worldwide. This represents the first fundamental step in developing a global educational framework aimed at improving RO trainee knowledge and skills in geriatric oncology

Management and Tillage Infl uence Barley Forage Productivity and Water Use in Dryland Cropping Systems

Annual cereal forages are resilient in water use (WU), water use efficiency (WUE), and weed control compared with grain crops in dryland systems. The combined influence of tillage and management systems on annual cereal forage productivity and WU is not well documented. We conducted a field study for the effects of tillage (no-till and tilled) and management (ecological and conventional) systems on WU and performance of forage barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and weed biomass in two crop rotations (wheat [Triticum aestivum L.]–forage barley–pea [Pisum sativum L.] and wheat–forage barley–corn [Zea mays L.] –pea) from 2004 to 2010 in eastern Montana. Conventional management included recommended seeding rates, broadcast N fertilization, and short stubble height of wheat. Ecological management included 33% greater seeding rates, banded N fertilization at planting, and taller wheat stubble. Forage barley in ecological management had 28 more plants m–2, 2 cm greater height, 65 more tillers m–2, 606 kg ha–1 greater crop biomass, 3.5 kg ha–1 mm–1greater WUE, and 47% reduction in weed biomass at harvest than in conventional management. Pre-plant and post-harvest soil water contents were similar among tillage and management systems, but barley WU was 13 mm greater in 4-yr than 3-yr rotation. Tillage had little effect on barley performance and WU. Dryland forage barley with higher seeding rate and banded N fertilization in more diversified rotation produced more yield and used water more efficiently than that with conventional seeding rate, broadcast N fertilization, and less diversified rotation in the semiarid northern Great Plains