Beta, Dipole and Noncommutative Deformations of M-theory Backgrounds with One or More Parameters

We construct new M-theory solutions starting from those that contain 5 U(1) isometries. We do this by reducing along one of the 5-torus directions, then T-dualizing via the action of an O(4,4) matrix and lifting back to 11-dimensions. The particular T-duality transformation is a sequence of O(2,2) transformations embedded in O(4,4), where the action of each O(2,2) gives a Lunin-Maldacena deformation in 10-dimensions. We find general formulas for the metric and 4-form field of single and multiparameter deformed solutions, when the 4-form of the initial 11-dimensional background has at most one leg along the 5-torus. All the deformation terms in the new solutions are given in terms of subdeterminants of a 5x5 matrix, which represents the metric on the 5-torus. We apply these results to several M-theory backgrounds of the type AdS_r x X^{11-r}. By appropriate choices of the T-duality and reduction directions we obtain analogues of beta, dipole and noncommutative deformations. We also provide formulas for backgrounds with only 3 or 4 U(1) isometries and study a case, for which our assumption for the 4-form field is violated.Comment: v2:minor corrections, v3:small improvements, v4:conclusions expanded, to appear in Class. Quant. Gra

Intensivist supervision of resident-placed central venous catheters decreases the incidence of catheter-related blood stream infections

Catheter-related blood stream infections (CRBSI) cause significant morbidity and mortality. A retrospective study of a performance improvement project in our teaching hospital's surgical intensive care unit (SICU) showed that intensivist supervision was important in reinforcing maximal sterile barriers (MSB) use during the placement of a central venous catheter (CVC) in the prevention of CRBSI. A historical control period, 1 January 2001–31 December 2003, was established for comparison. From 1 January 2003–31 December 2007, MSB use for central venous line placement was mandated for all operators. However, in 2003 there was no intensivist supervision of CVC placements in the SICU. The use of MSB alone did not cause a significant change in the CRBSI rate in the first year of the project, but close supervision by an intensivist in years 2004–2007, in conjunction with MSB use, demonstrated a significant drop in the CRBSI rate when compared to the years before intensivist supervision (2001–2003), p < .0001. A time series analysis comparing monthly rates of CRBSI (2001–2007) also revealed a significant downward trend, p = .028. Additionally, in the first year of the mandated MSB use (2003), 85 independently observed resident-placed CVCs demonstrated that breaks in sterile technique (34/85), as compared those placements that had no breaks in technique (51/85), had more CRBSI, 6/34 (17.6%) vs. 1/51 (1.9%), p < .01. Interventions to reduce CRBSI in our SICU needed emphasis on adequate supervision of trainees in CVC placement, in addition to use of MSB, to effect lower CRBSI rates

Characterization of the skin microbiota in bullous pemphigoid patients and controls reveals novel microbial indicators of disease

Introduction: Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is the most common autoimmune blistering disease. It predominately afflicts the elderly and is significantly associated with increased mortality. The observation of age-dependent changes in the skin microbiota as well as its involvement in other inflammatory skin disorders suggests that skin microbiota may play a role in the emergence of BP blistering. We hypothesize that changes in microbial diversity associated with BP might occur before the emergence of disease lesions, and thus could represent an early indicator of blistering risk. Objectives: The present study aims to investigate potential relationships between skin microbiota and BP and elaborate on important changes in microbial diversity associated with blistering in BP. Methods: The study consisted of an extensive sampling effort of the skin microbiota in patients with BP and age- and sex-matched controls to analyze whether intra-individual, body site, and/or geographical variation correlate with changes in skin microbial composition in BP and/or blistering status. Results: We find significant differences in the skin microbiota of patients with BP compared to that of controls, and moreover that disease status rather than skin biogeography (body site) governs skin microbiota composition in patients with BP. Our data reveal a discernible transition between normal skin and the skin surrounding BP lesions, which is characterized by a loss of protective microbiota and an increase in sequences matching Staphylococcus aureus, a known inflammation-promoting species. Notably, Staphylococcus aureus is ubiquitously associated with BP disease status, regardless of the presence of blisters. Conclusion: The present study suggests Staphylococcus aureus may be a key taxon associated with BP disease status. Importantly, we however find contrasting patterns in the relative abundances of Staphylococcus hominis and Staphylococcus aureus reliably discriminate between patients with BP and matched controls. This may serve as valuable information for assessing blistering risk and treatment outcomes in a clinical setting

Material dynamics under extreme conditions of pressure and strain rate

Solid state experiments at extreme pressures (10-100 GPa) and strain rates ({approx}10{sup 6}-10{sup 8}s{sup -1}) are being developed on high-energy laser facilities, and offer the possibility for exploring new regimes of materials science. These extreme solid-state conditions can be accessed with either shock loading or with a quasi-isentropic ramped pressure drive. Velocity interferometer measurements establish the high pressure conditions. Constitutive models for solid-state strength under these conditions are tested by comparing 2D continuum simulations with experiments measuring perturbation growth due to the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in solid-state samples. Lattice compression, phase, and temperature are deduced from extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements, from which the shock-induced {alpha}-{omega} phase transition in Ti and the {alpha}-{var_epsilon} phase transition in Fe are inferred to occur on sub-nanosec time scales. Time resolved lattice response and phase can also be measured with dynamic x-ray diffraction measurements, where the elastic-plastic (1D-3D) lattice relaxation in shocked Cu is shown to occur promptly (&lt; 1 ns). Subsequent large-scale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations elucidate the microscopic dynamics that underlie the 3D lattice relaxation. Deformation mechanisms are identified by examining the residual microstructure in recovered samples. The slip-twinning threshold in single-crystal Cu shocked along the [001] direction is shown to occur at shock strengths of {approx}20 GPa, whereas the corresponding transition for Cu shocked along the [134] direction occurs at higher shock strengths. This slip-twinning threshold also depends on the stacking fault energy (SFE), being lower for low SFE materials. Designs have been developed for achieving much higher pressures, P &gt; 1000 GPa, in the solid state on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) laser

IL-17RA Signaling Amplifies Antibody-Induced Arthritis

Objective: To investigate the role of IL-17RA signaling in the effector phase of inflammatory arthritis using the K/BxN serumtransfer model. Methods: Wild-type and Il17ra 2/2 mice were injected with serum isolated from arthritic K/BxN mice and their clinical score was recorded daily. Mice were also harvested on days 12 and 21 and ankles were analyzed for cytokine and chemokine mRNA expression by qPCR on day 12 and for bone and cartilage erosions by histology on day 21, respectively. The induction of cytokine and chemokine expression levels by IL-17A in synovial-like fibroblasts was also analyzed using qPCR. Results: Il17ra 2/2 mice were partially protected from clinical signs of arthritis and had markedly fewer cartilage and bone erosions. The expression of several pro-inflammatory mediators, including the chemokines KC/CXCL1, MIP-2/CXCL2, LIX/ CXCL5 MIP-1c/CCL9, MCP-3/CCL7, MIP-3a/CCL20, the cytokines IL-1b, IL-6, RANKL and the matrix metalloproteinases MMP2, MMP3, and MMP13 were decreased in the ankles of Il17ra 2/2 mice compared to wild-type mice. Many of these proinflammatory genes attenuated in the ankles of Il17ra 2/2 mice were shown to be directly induced by IL-17A in synovial fibroblasts in vitro. Conclusions: IL-17RA signaling plays a role as an amplifier of the effector phase of inflammatory arthritis. This effect is likel

Portal drained visceral flux, hepatic metabolism, and mammary uptake of free and peptide-bound amino acids and milk amino acid output in dairy cows fed diets containing corn grain steam flaked at 360 orsteam rolled at 490 g/L.

Objectives were to measure net fluxes of free (FAA) and peptide bound amino acids (AA) (PBAA) across portal-drained viscera (PDV), liver, splanchnic, and mammary tissues, and of milk AA output of lactating Holstein cows (n = 6, 109 +/- 9 d in milk) as influenced by flaking density of corn grain. Cows were fed alfalfa-based total mixed ration (TMR) containing 40% steam-flaked (SFC) or steam-rolled corn (SRC) grain. The TMR were offered at 12-h intervals in a crossover design. Six sets of blood samples were obtained from indwelling catheters in portal, hepatic, and mammary veins and mesenteric or costoabdominal arteries every 2 h from each cow and diet. Intake of dry matter (18.4 +/- 0.4 kg/d), N, and net energy for lactation were not altered by corn processing. Milk and milk crude protein yields (kg/12-h sampling) were 14.2 vs. 13.5 and 0.43 vs. 0.39 for cows fed SFC or SRC, respectively. The PDV flux of total essential FAA was greater (571.2 vs. 366.4 g/12 h, SEM 51.4) in cows fed SFC. The PDV flux of total essential PBAA was 69.3 +/- 10.8 and 51.5 +/- 13.2 g/12 h for cows fed SFC and SRC, respectively, and differed from zero, but fluxes of individual PBAA rarely differed between treatments. Liver flux of essential FAA was greater in cows fed SRC, but only the PBAA flux in cows fed SRC differed from zero. Splanchnic flux of FAA and PBAA followed the pattern of PDV flux, but variation was greater. Mammary uptake (g/12 h) of total essential FAA was greater in cows fed SFC than SRC (224.6 vs. 198.3, SEM 7.03). Mammary uptake of essential PBAA was 25.0 vs. 15.1, SEM 5.2, g/12 h for cows fed SFC or SRC, respectively, and differed from zero in half of the PBAA. Milk output of EAA was 187.8 vs 175.4, SEM 4.4 g/12 h in cows fed SFC and SRC, respectively, and output of most essential AA consistently tended to be greater in cows fed SFC. It is apparent that PBAA comprise a portion of total AA flux across PDV and are affected by grain processing. Further, this pool supplies an important component of AA taken up by the mammary gland. Quantifying the contribution of PBAA may improve diet formulation with respect to intestinal absorption and mammary uptake of AA

Renormalization Group Flows from D=3, N=2 Matter Coupled Gauged Supergravities

We study holographic RG flows of N=2 matter couple AdS_3 supergravities which admit both compact and non-compact sigma manifolds. For the compact case the supersymmetric domain wall solution interpolates between a conformal IR region and flat spacetime and this corresponds to a deformation of the CFT by an irrelevant operator. When it is non-compact, the solution can be interpreted as a flow between an UV fixed point and a non-conformal(singular) IR region. This is an exact example of a deformation flow when the singularity is physical. We also find a non-supersymmetric deformation flow when the scalar potential has a second AdS vacua. The ratio of the central charges is rational for certain values of the size of the sigma model. Next, we analyze the spectrum of a massless scalar on our background by transforming the problem into Schroedinger form. The spectrum is continuous for the compact model, yet it can be both continuous (with or without mass gap) and discrete otherwise. Finally, 2-point functions are computed for two examples whose quantum mechanical potentials are of Calogero type.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, Latex; v2 minor improvements, references added; v3 a footnote added, typos correcte

IFN-gamma Impairs Release of IL-8 by IL-1beta-stimulated A549 Lung Carcinoma Cells

Background Production of interferon (IFN)-gamma is key to efficient anti-tumor immunity. The present study was set out to investigate effects of IFNgamma on the release of the potent pro-angiogenic mediator IL-8 by human A549 lung carcinoma cells. Methods A549 cells were cultured and stimulated with interleukin (IL)-1beta alone or in combination with IFNgamma. IL-8 production by these cells was analyzed with enzyme linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA). mRNA-expression was analyzed by real-time PCR and RNase protection assay (RPA), respectively. Expression of inhibitor-kappaBalpha, cellular IL-8, and cyclooxygenase-2 was analyzed by Western blot analysis. Results Here we demonstrate that IFNgamma efficiently reduced IL-8 secretion under the influence of IL-1beta. Surprisingly, real-time PCR analysis and RPA revealed that the inhibitory effect of IFNgamma on IL-8 was not associated with significant changes in mRNA levels. These observations concurred with lack of a modulatory activity of IFNgamma on IL-1beta-induced NF-kappaB activation as assessed by cellular IkappaB levels. Moreover, analysis of intracellular IL-8 suggests that IFNgamma modulated IL-8 secretion by action on the posttranslational level. In contrast to IL-8, IL-1beta-induced cyclooxygenase-2 expression and release of IL-6 were not affected by IFNgamma indicating that modulation of IL-1beta action by this cytokine displays specificity. Conclusions Data presented herein agree with an angiostatic role of IFNgamma as seen in rodent models of solid tumors and suggest that increasing T helper type 1 (Th1)-like functions in lung cancer patients e.g. by local delivery of IFNgamma may mediate therapeutic benefit via mechanisms that potentially include modulation of pro-angiogenic IL-8

The Experience of Quality in Higher Education in the United Arab Emirates: In Times of Rapid Change and Complexities

In less than five decades, from offering formal education only in a few schools to a small tribal community to providing a selection of three public and approximately 100 private higher education institutions to the citizens of seven emirates creates a unique context in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is an evolution that corresponds with its remarkable economic growth. Quality assurance of diverse higher educational institutions requires complex schemes to ensure their fitness for purpose, while perhaps development and enhancement aspects need time to mature. The quality of the education is especially important because the UAE yearns for the diversified and knowledge-based economy; one that is led by its own citizens whose contribution to the workforce is currently less than 10%. This chapter highlights contextual complexities in the UAE that might have direct and/or indirect impacts on the quality experiences in the higher education sector, with proposed recommendations