387 research outputs found
QCD sum rules for the anti-charmed pentaquark
We present a QCD sum rule analysis for the anti-charmed pentaquark state with
and without strangeness. While the sum rules for most of the currents are
either non-convergent or dominated by the continuum, the one for the
non-strange pentaquark current composed of two diquarks and an antiquark, is
convergent and has a structure consistent with a positive parity pentaquark
state after subtracting out the continuum contribution. Arguments are
presented on the similarity between the result of the present analysis and that
based on the constituent quark models, which predict a more stable pentaquark
states when the antiquark is heavy.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures, REVTex, revised version,new figures added and
references update
Kvalitativni i kvantitativni sastav zajednice bentosa u proceni kvaliteta vode reke Neretve na lokalitetima Višići i Žitomišlići
This paper is a result of the research of the river Neretva benthos at sites Zitomislici and Visici (downstream of Mostar) from 2005. to 2010. The sampling was done once a year, and 'kick-sampling' sampling was used for macrointervertebrates, while the samples for the analysis of the phytobenthos composition were scraped from the sediment with a scalpel or run-off from the sediment (standard EN 13946: 2003 Water quality – Guidance). Results of the analysis point to 62 algae taxa at site Zitomislici and 69 at site Visici. Macrointervertebrates benthos composition points on dominance of snails and sensible groups of larvae stages of the EPT insect groups. Saprobic values of both biological factors are relatively balanced and for the river Neretva, at site Zitomislici, point to oligo/betamesosaprobe level, while at site Visici they point to betamesosaprobe level of quality
Psychological response and quality of life after transplantation: a comparison between heart, lung, liver and kidney recipients
PRINCIPLES: Various non-specific questionnaires were used to measure quality of life and psychological wellbeing of patients after organ transplantation. At present cross-organ studies dealing specifically with the psychological response to a transplanted organ are non-existent in German-speaking countries. METHODS: The Transplant Effects Questionnaire TxEQ-D and the SF-36 Quality of Life Questionnaire were used to examine the psychological response and quality of life of 370 patients after heart, lung, liver or kidney transplantation. The organ groups were compared with regard to psychosocial parameters. RESULTS: 72% of patients develop a feeling of responsibility for the received organ and its function. This feeling is even stronger towards the patient's key relationships i.e. family, friends, the treatment team and the donor. 11.6% worry about the transplanted organ. Heart and lung patients report significantly fewer concerns than liver and kidney patients. Overall, only a minority of patients report feelings of guilt towards the donor (2.7%), problems in disclosing their transplant to others (2.4%), or difficulties in complying with medical orders (3.5%). Lung transplant patients show significantly better adherence. CONCLUSIONS: A feeling of responsibility towards those one is close to and towards the donor is a common psychological phenomenon after transplantation of an organ. Conscious feelings of guilt and shame are harboured by only a minority of patients. The fact that heart and lung patients worry less about their transplant might have primarily to do with the greater medical and psychosocial support in this group
Charmed Exotics in Heavy Ion Collisions
Based on the color-spin interaction in diquarks, we argue that charmed
multiquark hadrons are likely to exist. Because of the appreciable number of
charm quarks produced in central nucleus-nucleus collisions at
ultrarelativistic energies, production of charmed multiquark hadrons is
expected to be enhanced in these collisions. Using both the quark coalescence
model and the statistical hadronization model, we estimate the yield of charmed
tetraquark meson and pentaquark baryon in heavy ion
collisions at RHIC and LHC. We further discuss the decay modes of these charmed
exotic hadrons in order to facilitate their detections in experiments
Apium plants: Beyond simple food and phytopharmacological applications
Apium plants belong to the Apiaceae family and are included among plants that have been in use in traditional medicine for thousands of years worldwide, including in the Mediterranean, as well as the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and Africa. Some highlighted medical benefits include prevention of coronary and vascular diseases. Their phytochemical constituents consist of bergapten, flavonoids, glycosides, furanocoumarins, furocoumarin, limonene, psoralen, xanthotoxin, and selinene. Some of their pharmacological properties include anticancer, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal, nematocidal, anti-rheumatism, antiasthma, anti-bronchitis, hepatoprotective, appetizer, anticonvulsant, antispasmodic, breast milk inducer, anti-jaundice, antihypertensive, anti-dysmenorrhea, prevention of cardiovascular diseases, and spermatogenesis induction. The present review summarizes data on ecology, botany, cultivation, habitat, medicinal use, phytochemical composition, preclinical and clinical pharmacological efficacy of Apium plants and provides future direction on how to take full advantage of Apium plants for the optimal benefit to mankind.N. Martins would like to thank the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT-Portugal) for the strategic project ref. UID/BIM/04293/2013 and “NORTE2020-Northern Regional Operational Program” (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000012)
The Peritoneum as a Natural Scaffold for Vascular Regeneration
Objective: The peritoneum has the same developmental origin as blood vessels, is highly reactive and poorly thrombogenic. We hypothesize that parietal peritoneum can sustain development and regeneration of new vessels. Methods and Results: The study comprised two experimental approaches. First, to test surgical feasibility and efficacy of the peritoneal vascular autograft, we set up an autologous transplantation procedure in pigs, where a tubularized parietal peritoneal graft was covered with a metal mesh and anastomosed end-to-end in the infrarenal aorta. Second, to dissect the contribution of graft vs host cells to the newly developed vessel wall, we performed human-to-rat peritoneal patch grafting in the abdominal aorta and examined the origin of endothelial and smooth muscle cells. In pig experiments, the graft remodeled to an apparently normal blood vessel, without thrombosis. Histology confirmed arterialization of the graft with complete endothelial coverage and neointimal hyperplasia in the absence of erosion, inflammation or thrombosis. In rats, immunostaining for human mitochondri revealed that endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells rarely were of human origin. Remodeling of the graft was mainly attributable to local cells with no clear evidence of c-kit+ endothelial progenitor cells or c-kit+ resident perivascular progenitor cells. Conclusions: The parietal peritoneum can be feasibly used as a scaffold to sustain the regeneration of blood vessels, whic
Symphytum Species: A Comprehensive Review on Chemical Composition, Food Applications and Phytopharmacology
Symphytum species belongs to the Boraginaceae family and have been used for centuries for
bone breakages, sprains and rheumatism, liver problems, gastritis, ulcers, skin problems, joint pain
and contusions, wounds, gout, hematomas and thrombophlebitis. Considering the innumerable
potentialities of the Symphytum species and their widespread use in the world, it is extremely
important to provide data compiling the available literature to identify the areas of intense research
and the main gaps in order to design future studies. The present review aims at summarizing the
main data on the therapeutic indications of the Symphytum species based on the current evidence,
also emphasizing data on both the e cacy and adverse e ects. The present review was carried
out by consulting PubMed (Medline), Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Database, Science
Direct and Google Scholar (as a search engine) databases to retrieve the most updated articles on this
topic. All articles were carefully analyzed by the authors to assess their strengths and weaknesses,
and to select the most useful ones for the purpose of review, prioritizing articles published from 1956
to 2018. The pharmacological e ects of the Symphytum species are attributed to several chemical
compounds, among them allantoin, phenolic compounds, glycopeptides, polysaccharides and some
toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Not less important to highlight are the risks associated with its use.
In fact, there is increasing consumption of over-the-counter drugs, which when associated with
conventional drugs can cause serious and even fatal adverse events. Although clinical trials sustain
the folk topical application of Symphytum species in musculoskeletal and blunt injuries, with minor
adverse e ects, its antimicrobial potency was still poorly investigated. Further studies are needed to
assess the antimicrobial spectrum of Symphytum species and to characterize the active molecules both
in vitro and in vivo
Stress distribution patterns at mini-implant site during retraction and intrusion - a three-dimensional finite element study
Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to evaluate the stress patterns produced in mini-implant and alveolar bone, for various implant dimensions, under different directions of simulated orthodontic force, using a three-dimensional finite element method. Methods Eight finite element (FE) models of mini-implant and bone were generated with insertion angles of 30° and 60°, diameters of 1 and 1.3 mm, and lengths of 6 and 8 mm. A simulated constant orthodontic force of 2 N was applied to each of these FE models in three directions simulating anterior retraction, anterior intrusion and retraction, and molar intrusion. Results Comparison of the maximum von Mises stress in the mini-implant showed that the 1-mm diameter produced significantly high stress, and the amount of stress produced was more for a mini-implant inserted at an angle of 60°. The cortical bone showed that high stresses were generated for the 1-mm-diameter mini-implant and on increasing the insertion angulation from 30° to 60°, the stress produced increased as well. The comparison of von Mises stress in the cancellous bone was insignificant as the amount of stress transmitted was very low. Conclusions The 1-mm-diameter mini-implants are not safe to be used clinically for orthodontic anchorage. The 1.3 × 6 mm dimension mini-implants are recommended for use during anterior segment retraction and during simultaneous intrusion and retraction, and the 1.3 × 8 mm dimension mini-implant is recommended for use during molar intrusion. All mini-implants should be inserted at a 30° angle into the bone for reduced stress and improved stability
Epstein-Barr Virus latent membrane protein 1 induces Snail and epithelial–mesenchymal transition in metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Background:Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)-associated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is distinctive among head-and-neck cancers in its undifferentiated histopathology and highly metastatic character. We have recently investigated the involvement of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in NPC. In a previous study, we found a close association of expression of LMP1, the principal EBV oncoprotein, with expression of Twist and induction of EMT.Methods:We analysed expression of Snail in 41 NPC tissues by immunohistochemistry. The role of Twist as well as Snail in EMT of NPC was investigated by using NP69SV40T human nasopharyngeal cells.Results:In NPC tissues, overexpression of Snail is associated with expression of LMP1 in carcinomatous cells. In addition, expression of Snail positively correlated with metastasis and independently correlated inversely with expression of E-cadherin. Expression of Twist had no association with expression of E-cadherin. Further, in a human nasopharyngeal cell line, LMP1 induces EMT and its associated cellular motility and invasiveness. Expression of Snail is induced by LMP1 in these cells, and small hairpin RNA (shRNA) to Snail reversed the cellular changes. By contrast, Twist did not produce EMT in these nasopharyngeal cells.Conclusions:This study strengthens the association of EMT with the metastatic behaviour of NPC. These results suggest that induction of Snail by the EBV oncoprotein LMP1 has a pivotal role in EMT in NPC
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