Phase-shift calculation using continuum-discretized states

We present a method for calculating scattering phase shifts which utilizes continuum-discretized states obtained in a bound-state type calculation. The wrong asymptotic behavior of the discretized state is remedied by means of the Green's function formalism. Test examples confirm the accuracy of the method. The $\alpha+n$ scattering is described using realistic nucleon-nucleon potentials. The $3/2^-$ and $1/2^-$ phase shifts obtained in a single-channel calculation are too small in comparison with experiment. The $1/2^+$ phase shifts are in reasonable agreement with experiment, and gain contributions both from the tensor and central components of the nucleon-nucleon potential.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figure

Alpha decay and proton-neutron correlations

We study the influence of proton-neutron (p-n) correlations on alpha-decay width. It is shown from the analysis of alpha Q values that the p-n correlations increase the penetration of the alpha particle through the Coulomb barrier in the treatment following Gamow's formalism, and enlarges the total alpha-decay width significantly. In particular, the isoscalar p-n interactions play an essential role in enlarging the alpha-decay width. The so-called "alpha-condensate" in Z > 84 isotopes are related to the strong p-n correlations.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. C (R.C.

Electronic-Cigarette Vehicles and Flavoring Affect Lung Function and Immune Responses in a Murine Model

The use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), also known as electronic-cigarettes (e-cigs), has raised serious public health concerns, especially in light of the 2019 outbreak of e-cig or vaping product use-associated acute lung injury (EVALI). While these cases have mostly been linked to ENDS that contain vitamin E acetate, there is limited research that has focused on the chronic pulmonary effects of the delivery vehicles (i.e., without nicotine and flavoring). Thus, we investigated lung function and immune responses in a mouse model following exposure to the nearly ubiquitous e-cig delivery vehicles, vegetable glycerin (VG) and propylene glycol (PG), used with a specific 70%/30% ratio, with or without vanilla flavoring. We hypothesized that mice exposed sub-acutely to these e-cig aerosols would exhibit lung inflammation and altered lung function. Adult female C57BL/6 mice (n= 11-12 per group) were exposed to filtered air, 70%/30% VG/PG, or 70%/30% VG/PG with a French vanilla flavoring for 2 h a day for 6 weeks. Prior to sacrifice, lung function was assessed. At sacrifice, broncho-alveolar lavage fluid and lung tissue were collected for lipid mediator analysis, flow cytometry, histopathology, and gene expression analyses. Exposures to VG/PG + vanilla e-cig aerosol increased lung tidal and minute volumes and tissue damping. Immunophenotyping of lung immune cells revealed an increased number of dendritic cells, CD4+ T cells, and CD19+ B cells in the VG/PG-exposed group compared to air, irrespective of the presence of vanilla flavoring. Quantification of bioactive lung lipids demonstrated a \u3e3-fold increase of 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), an anti-inflammatory mediator, and a 2-fold increase of 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE), another inflammatory mediator, following VG/PG exposure, with or without vanilla flavoring. This suggests that e-cig aerosol vehicles may affect immunoregulatory molecules. We also found that the two e-cig aerosols dysregulated the expression of lung genes. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis revealed that the gene networks that are dysregulated by the VG/PG e-cig aerosol are associated with metabolism of cellular proteins and lipids. Overall, our findings demonstrate that VG and PG, the main constituents of e-liquid formulations, when aerosolized through an e-cig device, are not harmless to the lungs, since they disrupt immune homeostasis

Acute tropical pulmonary eosinophilia: characterization of the lower respiratory tract inflammation and its response to therapy

Although acute tropical pulmonary eosinophilia (TPE) is well recognized as a manifestation of filarial infection, the processes that mediate the abnormalities of the lung in TPE are unknown. To evaluate the hypothesis that the derangements of the lower respiratory tract in this disorder are mediated by inflammatory cells in the local milieu we utilized bronchoalveolar lavage to evaluate affected individuals before and after therapy. Inflaminatory cells recovered from the lower respiratory tract of individuals with acute, untreated TPE (a = 8) revealed a striking eosinophilic alveolitis, with marked elevations in both the proportion of eosinophils (TPE 54±5%; normal 2±5%; P < 0.001) and the concentration of eosinophils in the recovered epithelial lining fluid (ELF) (TPE 63±20 X 103/Al; normal 03±0.1 X 103/jl; P < 0.01). Importantly, when individuals (a = 5) with acute TPE were treated with diethylcarbamazine (DEC), there was a marked decrease of the lung eosinophils and concomitant increase in lung function. These observations are consistent with the concept that at least some of the abnormalities found in the lung in acute TPE are mediated by an eosinophil-dominated inflammatory process in the lower respiratory tract

Single-neutron transfer from 11Be gs via the (p,d) reaction with a radioactive beam

The 11Be(p,d)10Be reaction has been performed in inverse kinematics with a radioactive 11Be beam of E/A = 35.3 MeV. Angular distributions for the 0+ ground state, the 2+, 3.37 MeV state and the multiplet of states around 6 MeV in 10Be were measured at angles up to 16 deg CM by detecting the 10Be in a dispersion-matched spectrometer and the coincident deuterons in a silicon array. Distorted wave and coupled-channels calculations have been performed to investigate the amount of 2+ core excitation in 11Be gs. The use of "realistic" 11Be wave functions is emphasised and bound state form factors have been obtained by solving the particle-vibration coupling equations. This calculation gives a dominant 2s component in the 11Be gs wave function with a 16% [2+ x 1d] core excitation admixture. Cross sections calculated with these form factors are in good agreement with the present data. The Separation Energy prescription for the bound state wave function also gives satisfactory fits to the data, but leads to a significantly larger [2 x 1d] component in 11Be gs.Comment: 39 pages, 12 figures. Accepted for publication in Nuclear Physics A. Added minor corrections made in proof to pages 26 and 3

C. elegans Germline-Deficient Mutants Respond to Pathogen Infection Using Shared and Distinct Mechanisms

Reproduction extracts a cost in resources that organisms are then unable to utilize to deal with a multitude of environmental stressors. In the nematode C. elegans, development of the germline shortens the lifespan of the animal and increases its susceptibility to microbial pathogens. Prior studies have demonstrated germline-deficient nematodes to have increased resistance to Gram negative bacteria. We show that germline-deficient strains display increased resistance across a broad range of pathogens including Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria, and the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans. Furthermore, we show that the FOXO transcription factor DAF-16, which regulates longevity and immunity in C. elegans, appears to be crucial for maintaining longevity in both wild-type and germline-deficient backgrounds. Our studies indicate that germline-deficient mutants glp-1 and glp-4 respond to pathogen infection using common and different mechanisms that involve the activation of DAF-16

Informatic Tools and Approaches in Postmarketing Pharmacovigilance Used by FDA

The safety profile of newly approved drugs and therapeutic biologics is less well developed by pre-marketing clinical testing than is the efficacy profile. The full safety profile of an approved product is established during years of clinical use. For nearly 40 years, the FDA has relied on the voluntary reporting of adverse events by healthcare practitioners and patients to help establish the safety of marketed products. Epidemiologic studies, including case series, secular trends, case-control and cohort studies, are used to supplement the investigation of a safety signal. Ideally, active surveillance systems would supplement the identification and exploration of safety signals. The FDA has implemented a number of initiatives to help identify safety problems with drugs and continues to evaluate their efforts

A polymorphic variant of the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) receptor correlates with male longevity in the Italian population: a genetic study and evaluation of circulating IGF-1 from the "Treviso Longeva (TRELONG)" study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>An attenuation of the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signaling has been associated with elongation of the lifespan in simple metazoan organisms and in rodents. In humans, IGF-1 level has an age-related modulation with a lower concentration in the elderly, depending on hormonal and genetic factors affecting the IGF-1 receptor gene (<it>IGF-1R</it>).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In an elderly population from North-eastern Italy (<it>n </it>= 668 subjects, age range 70–106 years) we investigated the <it>IGF-1R </it>polymorphism G3174A (<it>rs2229765</it>) and the plasma concentration of free IGF-1. Frequency distributions were compared using χ²-test "Goodness of Fit" test, and means were compared by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA); multiple regression analysis was performed using JMP7 for SAS software (SAS Institute, USA). The limit of significance for genetic and biochemical comparison was set at α = 0.05.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Males showed an age-related increase in the A-allele of <it>rs2229765 </it>and a change in the plasma level of IGF-1, which dropped significantly after 85 years of age (85+ group). In the male 85+ group, A/A homozygous subjects had the lowest plasma IGF-1 level. We found no clear correlation between <it>rs2229765 </it>genotype and IGF-1 in the females.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These findings confirm the importance of the <it>rs2229765 </it>minor allele as a genetic predisposing factor for longevity in Italy where a sex-specific pattern for IGF-1 attenuation with ageing was found.</p