Rituximab administration in third trimester of pregnancy suppresses neonatal B-cell development

We describe the effect on the neonate of administration of rituximab to a woman with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Rituximab, an anti-CD20 antibody, was given weekly for 4 weeks to a woman with ITP in her third trimester of pregnancy. One month after the last rituximab administration a healthy girl was born. She had normal growth and development during the first six months. At birth, B-lymphocytes were not detectable. Rituximab levels in mother and neonate were 24000 and 6700 ng/mL, respectively. Only 7 cases of rituximab administration during pregnancy were described. No adverse events are described for fetus and neonate. We demonstrate that rituximab passes the placenta and inhibits neonatal B-lymphocyte development. However, after 6 months B-lymphocyte levels normalized and vaccination titres after 10 months were adequate. No infection-related complications occurred. Rituximab administration during pregnancy appears to be safe for the child but further studies are warranted. Copyright © 2008 D. T. Klink et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. 1

`Composite particles' and the eigenstates of Calogero-Sutherland and Ruijsenaars-Schneider

We establish a one-to-one correspondance between the ''composite particles'' with $N$ particles and the Young tableaux with at most $N$ rows. We apply this correspondance to the models of Calogero-Sutherland and Ruijsenaars-Schneider and we obtain a momentum space representation of the ''composite particles'' in terms of creation operators attached to the Young tableaux. Using the technique of bosonisation, we obtain a position space representation of the ''composite particles'' in terms of products of vertex operators. In the special case where the ''composite particles'' are bosons and if we add one extra quasiparticle or quasihole, we construct the ground state wave functions corresponding to the Jain series $\nu =p/(2np\pm 1)$ of the fractional quantum Hall effect.Comment: latex calcomp2.tex, 5 files, 30 pages [SPhT-T99/080], submitted to J. Math. Phy

Газоносність вугільних пластів та фізико-механічнині властивості порід покрівлі і підошви поля шахти № 1 ”Тяглівська” Львівсько-Волинського басейну

Сопоставлены данные по изучению газоносности угольных пластов поля шахты № 1 ―Тягловская‖ и физико-механическим свойствам пород их непосредственной кровли и подошвы. Благоприятными яляются условия для выработки пластов b4, n8 в, n8. Несколько сложнее – для пластов n9, n7 в, n7 1, что вызвано низкой стойкостью пород кровли. Наиболее сложной прогнозируется ситуация для эксплуатации пласта n7 из-за низной стойкости и способности его кровли к обрушениям. Угольные пласты (кроме b4) находятся в метановой зоне. Их газоносность значительна, содержание метана в газовой смеси высокое. Это будет составлять дополнительные трудности при эксплуатации.Data on studies of the gas-bearing potential of coal seams of the Tyagliv-1 mine field are correlated as well as physical-mechanical properties of their immediate base and roof. Favorable conditions are known to exist for working of the seams b4, n8 в, n8. Somewhat more composite ones are observed for the seams n9, n7в, n7 1 that was caused by low stability of the roof rocks. The most composite situation is forecasted for exploitation of the seam n7 one to low stability and ability of its roof for landslides. Coal seams (exsepting b4) lie in the methane zone. Their gas-bearing potential is suffcient, methane content in a gas mixture is high. That will cause additional difficalties in the process of exploitation

K-matrices for non-abelian quantum Hall states

Two fundamental aspects of so-called non-abelian quantum Hall states (the q-pfaffian states and more general) are a (generalized) pairing of the participating electrons and the non-abelian statistics of the quasi-hole excitations. In this paper, we show that these two aspects are linked by a duality relation, which can be made manifest by considering the K-matrices that describe the exclusion statistics of the fundamental excitations in these systems.Comment: LaTeX, 12 page

Surface modes of ultracold atomic clouds with very large number of vortices

We study the surface modes of some of the vortex liquids recently found by means of exact diagonalizations in systems of rapidly rotating bosons. In contrast to the surface modes of Bose condensates, we find that the surface waves have a frequency linear in the excitation angular momentum, $\hbar l > 0$. Furthermore, in analogy with the edge waves of electronic quantum Hall states, these excitations are {\it chiral}, that is, they can be excited only for values of $l$ that increase the total angular momentum of the vortex liquid. However, differently from the quantum Hall phenomena for electrons, we also find other excitations that are approximately degenerate in the laboratory frame with the surface modes, and which decrease the total angular momentum by $l$ quanta. The surface modes of the Laughlin, as well as other scalar and vector boson states are analyzed, and their {\it observable} properties characterized. We argue that measurement of the response of a vortex liquid to a weak time-dependent potential that imparts angular momentum to the system should provide valuable information to characterize the vortex liquid. In particular, the intensity of the signal of the surface waves in the dynamic structure factor has been studied and found to depend on the type of vortex liquid. We point out that the existence of surface modes has observable consequences on the density profile of the Laughlin state. These features are due to the strongly correlated behavior of atoms in the vortex liquids. We point out that these correlations should be responsible for a remarkable stability of some vortex liquids with respect to three-body losses.Comment: 28 pages + 6 EPS figures. Final version as accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Finite-temperature form factors in the free Majorana theory

We study the large distance expansion of correlation functions in the free massive Majorana theory at finite temperature, alias the Ising field theory at zero magnetic field on a cylinder. We develop a method that mimics the spectral decomposition, or form factor expansion, of zero-temperature correlation functions, introducing the concept of "finite-temperature form factors". Our techniques are different from those of previous attempts in this subject. We show that an appropriate analytical continuation of finite-temperature form factors gives form factors in the quantization scheme on the circle. We show that finite-temperature form factor expansions are able to reproduce expansions in form factors on the circle. We calculate finite-temperature form factors of non-interacting fields (fields that are local with respect to the fundamental fermion field). We observe that they are given by a mixing of their zero-temperature form factors and of those of other fields of lower scaling dimension. We then calculate finite-temperature form factors of order and disorder fields. For this purpose, we derive the Riemann-Hilbert problem that completely specifies the set of finite-temperature form factors of general twist fields (order and disorder fields and their descendants). This Riemann-Hilbert problem is different from the zero-temperature one, and so are its solutions. Our results agree with the known form factors on the circle of order and disorder fields.Comment: 40 pp.; v2: 42 pp., refs and acknowledgment added, typos corrected, description of general matrix elements corrected and extended; v3: 47 pp., appendix adde

New Class of Non-Abelian Spin-Singlet Quantum Hall States

We present a new class of non-abelian spin-singlet quantum Hall states, generalizing Halperin's abelian spin-singlet states and the Read-Rezayi non-abelian quantum Hall states for spin-polarized electrons. We label the states by (k,M) with M odd (even) for fermionic (bosonic) states, and find a filling fraction $\nu=2k/(2kM+3)$. The states with M=0 are bosonic spin-singlet states characterized by an SU(3)_k symmetry. We explain how an effective Landau-Ginzburg theory for the SU(3)_2 state can be constructed. In general, the quasi-particles over these new quantum Hall states carry spin, fractional charge and non-abelian quantum statistics.Comment: LaTeX, 4 pages, no figures, final version, Phys. Rev. Lett, in pres

Design of a randomised controlled trial on immune effects of acidic and neutral oligosaccharides in the nutrition of preterm infants: carrot study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Prevention of serious infections in preterm infants is a challenge, since prematurity and low birth weight often requires many interventions and high utility of devices. Furthermore, the possibility to administer enteral nutrition is limited due to immaturity of the gastrointestinal tract in the presence of a developing immune system. In combination with delayed intestinal bacterial colonisation compared with term infants, this may increase the risk for serious infections. Acidic and neutral oligosaccharides play an important role in the development of the immune system, intestinal bacterial colonisation and functional integrity of the gut. This trial aims to determine the effect of enteral supplementation of acidic and neutral oligosaccharides on infectious morbidity (primary outcome), immune response to immunizations, feeding tolerance and short-term and long-term outcome in preterm infants. In addition, an attempt is made to elucidate the role of acidic and neutral oligosaccharides in postnatal modulation of the immune response and postnatal adaptation of the gut.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>In a double-blind placebo controlled randomised trial, 120 preterm infants (gestational age <32 weeks and/or birth weight <1500 gram) are randomly allocated to receive enteral acidic and neutral oligosaccharides supplementation (20%/80%) or placebo supplementation (maltodextrin) between day 3 and 30 of life. Primary outcome is infectious morbidity (defined as the incidence of serious infections). The role of acidic and neutral oligosaccharides in modulation of the immune response is investigated by determining the immune response to DTaP-IPV-Hib(-HBV)+PCV7 immunizations, plasma cytokine concentrations, faecal Calprotectin and IL-8. The effect of enteral acidic and neutral oligosaccharides supplementation on postnatal adaptation of the gut is investigated by measuring feeding tolerance, intestinal permeability, intestinal viscosity, and determining intestinal microflora. Furthermore, short-term and long-term outcome are evaluated.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>Especially preterm infants, who are at increased risk for serious infections, may benefit from supplementation of prebiotics. Most studies with prebiotics only focus on the colonisation of the intestinal microflora. However, the pathways how prebiotics may influence the immune system are not yet fully understood. Studying the immune modulatory effects is complex because of the multicausal risk of infections in preterm infants. The combination of neutral oligosaccharides with acidic oligosaccharides may have an increased beneficial effect on the immune system. Increased insight in the effects of prebiotics on the developing immune system may help to decrease the (infectious) morbidity and mortality in preterm infants.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN16211826.</p

Brief Report: Normal Intestinal Permeability at Elevated Platelet Serotonin Levels in a Subgroup of Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders in Curaçao (The Netherlands Antilles)

This study investigated the relationship between platelet (PLT) serotonin (5-HT) and intestinal permeability in children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). Differential sugar absorption and PLT 5-HT were determined in 23 children with PDD. PLT 5-HT (2.0–7.1 nmol/109 PLT) was elevated in 4/23 patients. None exhibited elevated intestinal permeability (lactulose/mannitol ratio: 0.008–0.035 mol/mol). PLT 5-HT did not correlate with intestinal permeability or GI tract complaints. PLT 5-HT correlated with 24 h urinary 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA; p = .034). Also urinary 5-HIAA and urinary 5-HT were interrelated (p = .005). A link between hyperserotonemia and increased intestinal permeability remained unsupported. Increased PLT 5-HT in PDD is likely to derive from increased PLT exposure to 5-HT. Longitudinal studies, showing the (in)consistency of abnormal intestinal permeability and PLT 5-HT, may resolve present discrepancies in the literature

Quasi-particles in Fractional Quantum Hall Effect Edge Theories

We propose a quasi-particle formulation of effective edge theories for the fractional quantum Hall effect. For the edge of a Laughlin state with filling fraction \nu=1/m, our fundamental quasi-particles are edge electrons of charge -e and edge quasi-holes of charge +e/m. These quasi-particles satisfy exclusion statistics in the sense of Haldane. We exploit algebraic properties of edge electrons to derive a kinetic equation for charge transport between a \nu=1/m fractional quantum Hall edge and a normal metal. We also analyze alternative `Boltzmann' equations that are directly based on the exclusion statistics properties of edge quasi-particles. Generalizations to more general filling fractions (Jain series) are briefly discussed.Comment: 20 pages, 2 eps figures, revtex, references updated, Phys. Rev. B in pres