Ekpyrosis and inflationary dynamics in heavy ion collisions: the role of quantum fluctuations

We summarize recent significant progress in the development of a first-principles formalism to describe the formation and evolution of matter in very high energy heavy ion collisions. The key role of quantum fluctuations both before and after a collision is emphasized. Systematic computations are now feasible to address early time dynamics essential to quantifying properties of strongly interacting quark-gluon matter.Comment: Talk by R.V. at Quark Matter 2011, Annecy, France, May 23-28, 2011. LaTex, 4 pages; v2, final version to appear in J. Phys.

Urine Biomarkers of Risk in the Molecular Etiology of Breast Cancer

Endogenous estrogens can be bio-activated to endogenous carcinogens via formation of estrogen quinones. Estrogen-3,4-quinones react with DNA to form mutagenic depurinating estrogen-DNA adducts. The carcinogenicity of endogenous estrogens is related to unbalanced estrogen metabolism leading to excess estrogen quinones and formation of depurinating DNA adducts. The present studies were initiated to confirm that relatively high levels of depurinating estrogen-DNA adducts are present in women at high risk for breast cancer or diagnosed with the disease. These adducts may be biomarkers for early detection of breast cancer risk. The estrogen metabolites, conjugates and depurinating DNA adducts were identified and quantified by using ultraperformance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry to analyze urine samples from 40 healthy control women, 40 high-risk women and 40 women with newly diagnosed breast cancer. Estrogen metabolism was shifted from protective methoxylation and conjugation pathways in healthy control women towards activating pathways leading to formation of depurinating DNA adducts in women at high risk or with breast cancer. These results support the hypothesis that breast cancer is initiated by mutations derived from depurination of estrogen-DNA adducts. Therefore, relative levels of depurinating estrogen-DNA adducts could become biomarkers for early detection of breast cancer risk and aid in determining preventive strategies

Enhanced Recovery after Urological Surgery: A Contemporary Systematic Review of Outcomes, Key Elements, and Research Needs

Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) programs are multimodal care pathways that aim to decrease intra-operative blood loss, decrease postoperative complications, and reduce recovery times

Fluctuation and flow probes of early-time correlations in relativistic heavy ion collisions

Fluctuation and correlation observables are often measured using multi-particle correlation methods and therefore mutually probe the origins of genuine correlations present in multi-particle distribution functions. We investigate the common influence of correlations arising from the spatially inhomogeneous initial state on multiplicity and momentum fluctuations as well as flow fluctuations. Although these observables reflect different aspects of the initial state, taken together, they can constrain a correlation scale set at the earliest moments of the collision. We calculate both the correlation scale in an initial stage Glasma flux tube picture and the modification to these correlations from later stage hydrodynamic flow and find quantitative agreement with experimental measurements over a range of collision systems and energies.Comment: Proceedings of the 28th Winter Workshop on Nuclear Dynamics, Dorado del Mar, Puerto Rico, April 7-14, 201

Integrating Association Mapping, Linkage Mapping, Fine Mapping with RNA Seq Conferring Seedling Vigor Improvement for Successful Crop Establishment in Deep Sown Direct-Seeded Rice

Background: Ongoing large-scale shift towards direct seeded rice (DSR) necessitates a convergence of breeding and genetic approaches for its sustenance and harnessing natural resources and environmental benefits. Improving seedling vigour remains key objective for breeders working with DSR. The present study aims to understand the genetic control of seedling vigour in deep sown DSR. Combined genome-wide association mapping, linkage mapping, fine mapping, RNA-sequencing to identify candidate genes and validation of putative candidate genes were performed in the present study. Results: Significant phenotypic variations were observed among genotypes in both F3:4:5 and BC2F2:3 populations. The mesocotyl length showed significant positive correlation with %germination, root and shoot length. The 881 kb region on chromosome 7 reported to be associated with mesocotyl elongation. RNA-seq data and RT-PCR results identified and validated seven potential candidate genes. The four promising introgression lines free from linkage drag and with longer mesocotyl length, longer root length, semi-dwarf plant height have been identified. Conclusion: The study will provide rice breeders (1) the pre breeding material in the form of anticipated DSR adapted introgression lines possessing useful traits and alleles improving germination under deep sown DSR field conditions (2) the base for the studies involving functional characterization of candidate genes. The development and utilization of improved introgression lines and molecular markers may play an important role in genomics-assisted breeding (GAB) during the pyramiding of valuable genes providing adaptation to rice under DSR. Our results offer a robust and reliable package that can contribute towards enhancing genetic gains in direct seeded rice breeding programs

The Rise and Fall of the Ridge in Heavy Ion Collisions

Recent data from heavy ion collisions at RHIC show unexpectedly large near-angle correlations that broaden longitudinally with increasing centrality. The amplitude of this ridge-like correlation rises rapidly, reaches a maximum, and then falls in the most central collisions. In this letter we explain how this behavior can be explained as initial-state coordinate-space anisotropies converted into final-state momentum-space correlations. We propose $v_n^2/\epsilon_{n,\mathrm{part}}^{2}$ as a useful way to study length scales and provide a prediction for the ridge in Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=$ 2.76 TeV.Comment: 1 Figure and text adde

Systematic review and cumulative analysis of perioperative outcomes and complications after robot-assisted radical cystectomy

CONTEXT: Although open radical cystectomy (ORC) is still the standard approach, laparoscopic radical cystectomy (LRC) and robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) have gained popularity. OBJECTIVE: To report a systematic literature review and cumulative analysis of perioperative outcomes and complications of RARC in comparison with ORC and LRC. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched using a free-text protocol including the terms robot-assisted radical cystectomy or da Vinci radical cystectomy or robot* radical cystectomy. RARC case series and studies comparing RARC with either ORC or LRC were collected. Cumulative analysis was conducted. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: The searches retrieved 105 papers. According to the different diversion type, overall mean operative time ranged from 360 to 420 min. Similarly, mean blood loss ranged from 260 to 480 ml. Mean in-hospital stay was about 9 d for all diversion types, with consistently high readmission rates. In series reporting on RARC with either extracorporeal or intracorporeal conduit diversion, overall 90-d complication rates were 59% (high-grade complication: 15%). In series reporting RARC with intracorporeal continent diversion, the overall 30-d complication rate was 45.7% (high-grade complication: 28%). Reported mortality rates were ≤3% for all diversion types. Comparing RARC and ORC, cumulative analyses demonstrated shorter operative time for ORC, whereas blood loss and in-hospital stay were better with RARC (all p values <0.003). Moreover, 90-d complication rates of any-grade and 90-d grade 3 complication rates were lower for RARC (all p values <0.04), whereas high-grade complication and mortality rates were similar. CONCLUSIONS: RARC can be performed safely with acceptable perioperative outcome, although complications are common. Cumulative analyses demonstrated that operative time was shorter with ORC, whereas RARC may provide some advantages in terms of blood loss and transfusion rates and, more limitedly, for postoperative complication rates over ORC and LRC. PATIENT SUMMARY: Although open radical cystectomy (RC) is still regarded as a standard treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer, laparoscopic and robot-assisted RC are becoming more popular. Robotic RC can be safely performed with acceptably low risk of blood loss, transfusion, and intraoperative complications; however, as for open RC, the risk of postoperative complications is high, including a substantial risk of major complication and reoperation

Elliptic flow of electrons from heavy-flavor hadron decays in Au+Au collisions at sNN=\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 200, 62.4, and 39 GeV

We present measurements of elliptic flow ($v_2$) of electrons from the decays of heavy-flavor hadrons ($e_{HF}$) by the STAR experiment. For Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} =$ 200 GeV we report $v_2$, for transverse momentum ($p_T$) between 0.2 and 7 GeV/c using three methods: the event plane method ($v_{2}${EP}), two-particle correlations ($v_2${2}), and four-particle correlations ($v_2${4}). For Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 62.4 and 39 GeV we report $v_2${2} for $p_T< 2$ GeV/c. $v_2${2} and $v_2${4} are non-zero at low and intermediate $p_T$ at 200 GeV, and $v_2${2} is consistent with zero at low $p_T$ at other energies. The $v_2${2} at the two lower beam energies is systematically lower than at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} =$ 200 GeV for $p_T < 1$ GeV/c. This difference may suggest that charm quarks interact less strongly with the surrounding nuclear matter at those two lower energies compared to $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 200$ GeV.Comment: Version accepted by PR