Radiative capture of protons by deuterons

The differential cross section for radiative capture of protons by deuterons is calculated using different realistic NN interactions. We compare our results with the available experimental data below $E_x = 20 MeV$. Excellent agreement is found when taking into account meson exchange currents, dipole and quadrupole contributions, and the full initial state interaction. There is only a small difference between the magnitudes of the cross sections for the different potentials considered. The angular distributions, however, are practically potential independent.Comment: 4 pages (twocolumn), 4 postscript figures included, submitted for publication, revised versio

Deuteron NN*(1440) components from a chiral quark model

We present a nonrelativistic coupled-channel calculation of the deuteron structure including Delta Delta and NN^*(1440) channels, besides the standard NN S and D-wave components. All the necessary building blocks to perform the calculation have been obtained from the same underlying quark model. The calculated NN^*(1440) probabilities find support in the explanation given to different deuteron reactions.Comment: 4 pages; revtex4, Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. C (Brief Report

Quark-model study of few-baryon systems

We review the application of non-relativistic constituent quark models to study one, two and three non-strange baryon systems. We present results for the baryon spectra, potentials and observables of the NN, N$\Delta$, $\Delta\Delta$ and NN$^*(1440)$ systems, and also for the binding energies of three non-strange baryon systems. We make emphasis on observable effects related to quark antisymmetry and its interplay with quark dynamics.Comment: 82 pages, 36 figures, 18 tables. Accepted for publication in Reports on Progress in Physic

N_LyST: a simple and rapid screening test for Lynch Syndrome

Aims: We sought to use PCR followed by high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis to develop a single closed-tube screening panel to screen for Lynch Syndrome. This comprises tests for microsatellite instability (MSI), MLH1 methylation promoter and BRAF mutation.Methods:For MSI-testing, 5 mononucleotide markers (BAT25, BAT26, BCAT25, MYB, EWSR1) were developed. In addition, primers were designed to interrogate Region C of the MLH1 promoter for methylation (using bisulphite-modified DNA) and to test for mutations in codon 600 of BRAF. Two separate cohorts from Nottingham (n = 99, 46 with MSI, 53 being microsatellite stable (MSS)) and Edinburgh (n=88, 45 MSI, 43 MSS). Results:All the cases (n=187) were blind tested for MSI and all were correctly characterised by our panel. The MLH1 promoter and BRAF were tested only in the Nottingham cohort. Successful blinded analysis was performed on the MLH1 promoter in 97 cases. All MSS cases showed a pattern of non-methylation whilst 41/44 cases with MSI showed full methylation. The three cases with MSI and a non-methylated pattern had aberrations in MSH2 and MSH6 expression. BRAF mutation was detected in 61% of MSI cases and 11% of MSS cases. Finally, 12 cases were blind screened by using the whole panel as a single test. Of these, 5 were identified as MSS, 4 as MSI/non-LS and 3 as MSI/possible LS. These results were concordant with the previous data.Conclusion: We describe the Nottingham Lynch Syndrome Test (N_LyST). This is a quick simple cheap method for screening for Lynch Syndrome

Patient-orientated longitudinal study of multiple sclerosis in south west England (The South West Impact of Multiple Sclerosis Project, SWIMS) 1: protocol and baseline characteristics of cohort

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is a need for greater understanding of the impact of multiple sclerosis (MS) from the perspective of individuals with the condition. The South West Impact of MS Project (SWIMS) has been designed to improve understanding of disease impact using a patient-centred approach. The purpose is to (1) develop improved measurement instruments for clinical trials, (2) evaluate longitudinal performance of a variety of patient-reported outcome measures, (3) develop prognostic predictors for use in individualising drug treatment for patients, particularly early on in the disease course.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This is a patient-centred, prospective, longitudinal study of multiple sclerosis and clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) in south west England. The study area comprises two counties with a population of approximately 1.7 million and an estimated 1,800 cases of MS. Self-completion questionnaires are administered to participants every six months (for people with MS) or 12 months (CIS). Here we present descriptive statistics of the baseline data provided by 967 participants with MS.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Seventy-five percent of those approached consented to participate. The male:female ratio was 1.00:3.01 (n = 967). Average (standard deviation) age at time of entry to SWIMS was 51.6 (11.5) years (n = 961) and median (interquartile range) time since first symptom was 13.3 (6.8 to 24.5) years (n = 934). Fatigue was the most commonly reported symptom, with 80% of participants experiencing fatigue at baseline. Although medication use for symptom control was common, there was little evidence of effectiveness, particularly for fatigue. Nineteen percent of participants were unable to classify their subtype of MS. When patient-reported subtype was compared to neurologist assessment for a sample of participants (n = 396), agreement in disease sub-type was achieved in 63% of cases. There were 836 relapses, reported by 931 participants, in the twelve months prior to baseline. Twenty-three percent of the relapsing-remitting group and 12% of the total sample were receiving disease-modifying therapy at baseline.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Demographics of this sample were similar to published data for the UK. Overall, the results broadly reflect clinical experience in confirming high symptom prevalence, with relatively little complete symptom relief. Participants often had difficulty in defining MS relapses and their own MS type.</p