Supersymmetric Non-local Gas Equation

In this paper we study systematically the question of supersymmetrization of the non-local gas equation. We obtain both the N=1 and the N=2 supersymmetric generalizations of the system which are integrable. We show that both the systems are bi-Hamiltonian. While the N=1 supersymmetrization allows the hierarchy of equations to be extended to negative orders (local equations), we argue that this is not the case for the N=2 supersymmetrization. In the bosonic limit, however, the N=2 system of equations lead to a new coupled integrable system of equations.Comment: RevTex, 7page

Energy relaxation of an excited electron gas in quantum wires: many-body electron LO-phonon coupling

We theoretically study energy relaxation via LO-phonon emission in an excited one-dimensional electron gas confined in a GaAs quantum wire structure. We find that the inclusion of phonon renormalization effects in the theory extends the LO-phonon dominated loss regime down to substantially lower temperatures. We show that a simple plasmon-pole approximation works well for this problem, and discuss implications of our results for low temperature electron heating experiments in quantum wires.Comment: 10 pages, RevTex, 4 figures included. Also available at http://www-cmg.physics.umd.edu/~lzheng

Impact of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on neuronal functions

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, modulates neuronal excitability by the application of a small electrical current. The low cost and ease of the technique has driven interest in potential clinical applications. However, outcomes are highly sensitive to stimulation parameters, leading to difficulty maximizing the technique's effectiveness. Although reversing the polarity of stimulation often causes opposite effects, this is not always the case. Effective clinical application will require an understanding of how tDCS works; how it modulates a neuron; how it affects the local network; and how it alters inter-network signaling. We have summarized what is known regarding the mechanisms of tDCS from sub-cellular processing to circuit level communication with a particular focus on what can be learned from the polarity specificity of the effects

Dexamethasone inhibits ozone-induced gene expression of macrophage inflammatory protein-2 in rat lung

AbstractTo address the potential role of the chemokine macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2) in airway inflammation, we examined whether MIP-2 may play a role in ozone-induced neutrophilic inflammation of airways and its modulation by dexamethasone in rat lung. Following ozone exposure, MIP-2 mRNA expression in the lung peaked at 2 h after exposure and slowly declined thereafter. Dexamethasone suppressed ozone-induced MIP-2 mRNA expression and neutrophil accumulation in the lung. We suggest that the MIP-2 mRNA induction may switch on the neutrophilic influx observed in this model of lung inflammation. Furthermore, the MIP-2 expression is regulated by dexamethasone which may represent one of the mechanisms by which glucocorticoids exert their potent anti-inflammatory properties

An Analytical Study on the Multi-critical Behaviour and Related Bifurcation Phenomena for Relativistic Black Hole Accretion

We apply the theory of algebraic polynomials to analytically study the transonic properties of general relativistic hydrodynamic axisymmetric accretion onto non-rotating astrophysical black holes. For such accretion phenomena, the conserved specific energy of the flow, which turns out to be one of the two first integrals of motion in the system studied, can be expressed as a 8$^{th}$ degree polynomial of the critical point of the flow configuration. We then construct the corresponding Sturm's chain algorithm to calculate the number of real roots lying within the astrophysically relevant domain of $\mathbb{R}$. This allows, for the first time in literature, to {\it analytically} find out the maximum number of physically acceptable solution an accretion flow with certain geometric configuration, space-time metric, and equation of state can have, and thus to investigate its multi-critical properties {\it completely analytically}, for accretion flow in which the location of the critical points can not be computed without taking recourse to the numerical scheme. This work can further be generalized to analytically calculate the maximal number of equilibrium points certain autonomous dynamical system can have in general. We also demonstrate how the transition from a mono-critical to multi-critical (or vice versa) flow configuration can be realized through the saddle-centre bifurcation phenomena using certain techniques of the catastrophe theory.Comment: 19 pages, 2 eps figures, to appear in "General Relativity and Gravitation

Thermal Unparticles: A New Form of Energy Density in the Universe

Unparticle \U with scaling dimension d_\U has peculiar thermal properties due to its unique phase space structure. We find that the equation of state parameter \omega_\U, the ratio of pressure to energy density, is given by 1/(2d_\U +1) providing a new form of energy in our universe. In an expanding universe, the unparticle energy density \rho_\U(T) evolves dramatically differently from that for photons. For d_\U >1, even if \rho_\U(T_D) at a high decoupling temperature $T_D$ is very small, it is possible to have a large relic density \rho_\U(T^0_\gamma) at present photon temperature $T^0_\gamma$, large enough to play the role of dark matter. We calculate $T_D$ and \rho_\U(T^0_\gamma) using photon-unparticle interactions for illustration.Comment: 5 pages; v3, journal version

A Neuroanatomically Grounded Optimal Control Model of the Compensatory Eye Movement System in Mice

We present a working model of the compensatory eye movement system in mice. We challenge the model with a data set of eye movements in mice (n =34) recorded in 4 different sinusoidal stimulus conditions with 36 different combinations of frequency (0.1–3.2 Hz) and amplitude (0.5–8°) in each condition. The conditions included vestibular stimulation in the dark (vestibular-ocular reflex, VOR), optokinetic stimulation (optokinetic reflex, OKR), and two combined visual/vestibular conditions (the visual-vestibular ocular reflex, vVOR, and visual suppression of the VOR, sVOR). The model successfully reproduced the eye movements in all conditions, except for minor failures to predict phase when gain was very low. Most importantly, it could explain the interaction of VOR and OKR when the two reflexes are activated simultaneously during vVOR stimulation. In addition to our own data, we also reproduced the behavior of the compensatory eye movement system found in the existing literature. These include its response to sum-of-sines stimuli, its response after lesions of the nucleus prepositus hypoglossi or the flocculus, characteristics of VOR adaptation, and characteristics of drift in the dark. Our model is based on ideas of state prediction and forward modeling that have been widely used in the study of motor control. However, it represents one of the first quantitative efforts to simulate the full range of behaviors of a specific system. The model has two separate processing loops, one for vestibular stimulation and one for visual stimulation. Importantly, state prediction in the visual processing loop depends on a forward model of residual ret

How much time should long-term care and geriatric rehabilitation facilities (nursing homes) spend on infection control?

Background: For hospitals, standards for the required number of infection control personnel are outdated and disputed. Such standards are not even available for long-term care and geriatric rehabilitation facilities (ie, nursing homes). This study addressed the question of how much time nursing homes should spend on infection control. Methods: Through group discussions and individual sessions, experienced infection control practitioners, medical microbiologists, and nursing home doctors evaluated the time needed to perform infection control activities in a model nursing home. Results: The number of hours needed was estimated as 513 per 100 beds, or 154 per 10,000 care-days per year. Conclusion: Given that significant differences can be expected among the various facilities identified as nursing homes, long-term care facilities, or geriatric rehabilitation centers, as well as among countries, the standard that we propose for The Netherlands will not be generally applicable. However, the method we have used to determine this standard can be easily applied in other countries and settings.Public Health and primary careGeriatrics in primary careAntimicrobial treatment and prevention of infection

Long-term safety of secukinumab in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis: integrated pooled clinical trial and post-marketing surveillance data

Background: Secukinumab, a fully human immunoglobulin G1-kappa monoclonal antibody that directly inhibits interleukin (IL)-17A, has been shown to have robust efficacy in the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis (PsO), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) demonstrating a rapid onset of action and sustained long-term clinical responses with a consistently favorable safety profile in multiple Phase 2 and 3 trials. Here, we report longer-term pooled safety and tolerability data for secukinumab across three indications (up to 5 years of treatment in PsO and PsA; up to 4 years in AS). Methods: The integrated clinical trial safety dataset included data pooled from 21 randomized controlled clinical trials of secukinumab 300 or 150 or 75 mg in PsO (14 Phase 3 trials and 1 Phase 4 trial), PsA (3 Phase 3 trials), and AS (3 Phase 3 trials), along with post-marketing safety surveillance data with a cut-off date of June 25, 2017. Adverse events (AEs) were reported as exposure-adjusted incident rates (EAIRs) per 100 patient-years. Analyses included all patients who received ≥ 1 dose of secukinumab. Results: A total of 5181, 1380, and 794 patients from PsO, PsA, and AS clinical trials representing secukinumab exposures of 10,416.9, 3866.9, and 1943.1 patient-years, respectively, and post-marketing data from patients with a cumulative exposure to secukinumab of ~ 96,054 patient-years were included in the analysis. The most frequent AE was upper respiratory tract infection. EAIRs across PsO, PsA, and AS indications were generally low for serious infections (1.4, 1.9, and 1.2, respectively), Candida infections (2.2, 1.5, and 0.7, respectively), inflammatory bowel disease (0.01, 0.05, and 0.1, respectively), and major adverse cardiac events (0.3, 0.4, and 0.6, respectively). No cases of tuberculosis reactivation were reported. The incidence of treatment-emergent anti-drug antibodies was low with secukinumab across all studies, with no discernible loss of efficacy, unexpected alterations in pharmacokinetics, or association with immunogenicity-related AEs. Conclusions: Secukinumab demonstrated a favorable safety profile over long-term treatment in patients with PsO, PsA, and AS. This comprehensive assessment demonstrated that the safety profile of secukinumab was consistent with previous reports in patients with PsO, PsA, and AS, supporting its long-term use in these chronic conditions