100 research outputs found
Odd-frequency Pairs and Josephson Current through a Strong Ferromagnet
We study Josephson current in superconductor / diffusive ferromagnet
/superconductor junctions by using the recursive Green function method. When
the exchange potential in a ferromagnet is sufficiently large as compared to
the pair potential in a superconductor, an ensemble average of Josephson
current is much smaller than its mesoscopic fluctuations. The Josephson current
vanishes when the exchange potential is extremely large so that a ferromagnet
is half-metallic. Spin-flip scattering at junction interfaces drastically
changes the characteristic behavior of Josephson current. In addition to
spin-singlet Cooper pairs, equal-spin triplet pairs penetrate into a half
metal. Such equal-spin pairs have an unusual symmetry property called
odd-frequency symmetry and carry the Josephson current through a half metal.
The penetration of odd-frequency pairs into a half metal enhances the low
energy quasiparticle density of states, which could be detected experimentally
by scanning tunneling spectroscopy. We will also show that odd-frequency pairs
in a half metal cause a nonmonotonic temperature dependence of the critical
Josephson current.Comment: 12 pages 14 figures embedde
Cytosolic glutamine synthetase1;2 is responsible for the primary assimilation of ammonium in rice roots
A quantitative model for IcR product in d-wave Josephson junctions
We study theoretically the Josephson effect in d-wave superconductor /
diffusive normal metal /insulator/ diffusive normal metal/ d-wave
superconductor (D/DN/I/DN/D) junctions. This model is aimed to describe
practical junctions in high- cuprate superconductors, in which the product
of the critical Josephson current () and the normal state resistance ()
(the so-called product) is very small compared to the prediction
of the standard theory. We show that the product in D/DN/I/DN/D
junctions can be much smaller than that in d-wave superconductor / insulator /
d-wave superconductor junctions and formulate the conditions necessary to
achieve large product in D/DN/I/DN/D junctions. The proposed
theory describes the behavior of products quantitatively in
high- cuprate junctions.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figure
Idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease with positive antiphospholipid antibody: atypical and undiagnosed autoimmune disease?
Idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD) is a systemic disorder characterized by systemic inflammation and organ dysfunction associated with an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines. Some patients with iMCD are positive for autoantibodies, although their significance and relationship with specific associated autoimmune diseases are unclear. This study retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathological features of iMCD patients focusing on autoantibodies. Among 63 iMCD patients in our database, 19 were positive for at least one autoantibody. Among the 19, we identified five with plasma cell type (PC)-iMCD lymph node histopathology and positive anti-phospholipid antibodies. These patients were likely to have thrombocytopenia, anasarca, fever, reticulin fibrosis or renal insufficiency, organomegaly (TAFRO) symptoms, and thrombotic events. The present study suggests that patients with undiagnosed or atypical autoimmune diseases, including anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS), were treated for iMCD. APS may present with thrombocytopenia or even multi-organ failure, which overlap with clinical presentations of iMCD. Due to differences in the treatment regimen and follow-up, recognition of the undiagnosed autoimmune disease process in those suspected of iMCD is essential. Our study highlights the importance of complete exclusion of differential diagnoses in patients with iMCD in their diagnostic workup
Efficacy of SGLT2 inhibitors in IgA nephropathy associated with alcoholic liver cirrhosis accompanied by nephrotic syndrome: a case report
We present a 51-year-old male patient with a history of Child-Pugh Grade B alcoholic liver cirrhosis (ALC) who developed renal impairment (serum creatinine of 2.00 mg/dL) and nephrotic syndrome (a urinary protein level of 4.35 g/gCr). The patient was diagnosed with immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) associated with ALC based on findings from comprehensive evaluations, including markedly elevated serum IgA levels (883.7 mg/dL), a kidney biopsy revealing significant IgA deposition in the para-mesangial area, and a liver diagnosis showing long-standing advanced ALC. Our treatment approach involved initiating dapagliflozin therapy, a sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, alongside strict alcohol abstinence. Remarkably, the patient demonstrated a dramatic reduction in proteinuria within one week of dapagliflozin administration. No hypoglycemic events were observed. This case adds valuable clinical insights into the potential therapeutic role of SGLT2 inhibitors in IgAN associated with ALC. Specifically, in cases where conventional steroid therapies may be contraindicated due to coexisting comorbidities such as diabetes or obesity, dapagliflozin emerges as a potentially efficacious alternative. Further investigations are warranted to validate these preliminary observations
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