Central Florida Future, Vol. 40 No. 55, June 12, 2008

Missing graduate student found dead; Seeking Martian colors; Green dept. to focus on savings; Hit receives Rotary business award.https://stars.library.ucf.edu/centralfloridafuture/3118/thumbnail.jp

Aspects of the decoherence in high spin environments: Breakdown of the mean-field approximation

The study of the decoherence of qubits in spin systems is almost restricted to environments whose constituents are spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ particles. In this paper we consider environments that are composed of particles of higher spin, and we investigate the consequences on the dynamics of a qubit coupled to such baths via Heisenberg $XY$ and Ising interactions. It is shown that while the short time decay in both cases gets faster as the magnitude of the spin increases, the asymptotic behavior exhibits an improvement of the suppression of the decoherence when the coupling is through Heisenberg $XY$ interactions. In the case of a transverse Ising model, we find that the mean field approximation breaks down for high values of the spin.Comment: Preprint; 27 pages, 8 figure

Pathogenesis of Rhinitis

Rhinitis is a heterogeneous condition that has been associated with inflammatory responses as in allergic rhinitis but can also occur in the absence of inflammation such as in so-called ‘idiopathic’ (previously ‘vasomotor’) rhinitis. Allergic rhinitis affects approximately 1 in 4 of the population of westernised countries and is characterized by typical symptoms of nasal itching, sneezing, watery discharge and congestion. The intention of this review is to illustrate key concepts of the pathogenesis of rhinitis. Imbalance in innate and adaptive immunity together with environmental factors is likely to play major roles. In allergic rhinitis, initial allergen exposure and sensitization involves antigen presenting cells, T and B lymphocytes and results in the generation of allergen-specific T cells and allergen specific IgE antibodies. On re-exposure to relevant allergens crosslinking of IgE on mast cells results in the release of mediators of hypersensitivity such as histamine and immediate nasal symptoms. Within hours, there is an infiltration by inflammatory cells, particularly Th2 T lymphocytes, eosinophils and basophils into nasal mucosal tissue that results in the late-phase allergic response. Evidence for nasal priming and whether or not remodelling may be a feature of allergic rhinitis will be reviewed. The occurrence of so-called ‘local’ allergic rhinitis in the absence of systemic IgE will be discussed. Non-allergic (non-IgE mediated) rhinitis will be considered in the context of inflammatory and non-inflammatory disorders

Role of Innate Immunity in the Pathogenesis of Chronic Rhinosinusitis: Progress and New Avenues

Chronic rhinosinusitis is a heterogeneous and multifactorial disease with unknown etiology. Aberrant responses to microorganisms have been suggested to play a role in the pathophysiology of the disease. Research has focused on the presence, detection, response to, and eradication of these potential threats. Main topics seem to center on the contribution of structural cells such as epithelium and fibroblasts, on the consequences of activation of pattern-recognition receptors, and on the role of antimicrobial agents. This research should be viewed not only in the light of a comparison between healthy and diseased individuals, but also in a comparison between patients who do or do not respond to treatment. New players that could play a role in the pathophysiology seem to surface at regular intervals, adding to our understanding (and the complexity) of the disease and opening new avenues that may help fight this incapacitating disease

Real-life assessment of chronic rhinosinusitis patients using mobile technology : The mySinusitisCoach project by EUFOREA

Background Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with a substantial personal and socioeconomic burden. Monitoring of patient-reported outcomes by mobile technology offers the possibility to better understand real-life burden of CRS. Methods This study reports on the cross-sectional evaluation of data of 626 users of mySinusitisCoach (mSC), a mobile application for CRS patients. Patient characteristics of mSC users were analysed as well as the level of disease control based on VAS global rhinosinusitis symptom score and adapted EPOS criteria. Results The mSC cohort represents a heterogeneous group of CRS patients with a diverse pattern of major symptoms. Approximately half of patients reported nasal polyps. 47.3% of all CRS patients were uncontrolled based on evaluation of VAS global rhinosinusitis symptom score compared to 40.9% based on adapted EPOS criteria. The impact of CRS on sleep quality and daily life activities was significantly higher in uncontrolled versus well-controlled patients. Half of patients had a history of FESS (functional endoscopic sinus surgery) and reported lower symptom severity compared to patients without a history of FESS, except for patients with a history of more than 3 procedures. Patients with a history of FESS reported higher VAS levels for impaired smell. Conclusion Real-life data confirm the high disease burden in uncontrolled CRS patients, clearly impacting quality of life. Sinus surgery improves patient-reported outcomes, but not in patients with a history of more than 3 procedures. Mobile technology opens a new era of real-life monitoring, supporting the evolution of care towards precision medicine.Peer reviewe

EUFOREA Rhinology Research Forum 2016: report of the brainstorming sessions on needs and priorities in rhinitis and rhinosinusitis

The first European Rhinology Research Forum organized by the European Forum for Research and Education in Allergy and Airway Diseases (EUFOREA) was held in the Royal Academy of Medicine in Brussels on 17th and 18th November 2016, in collaboration with the European Rhinologic Society (ERS) and the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GA2LEN). One hundred and thirty participants (medical doctors from different specialties, researchers, as well as patients and industry representatives) from 27 countries took part in the multiple perspective discussions including brainstorming sessions on care pathways and research needs in rhinitis and rhinosinusitis. The debates started with an overview of the current state of the art, including weaknesses and strengths of the current practices, followed by the identification of essential research needs, thoroughly integrated in the context of Precision Medicine (PM), with personalized care, prediction of success of treatment, participation of the patient and prevention of disease as key principles for improving current clinical practices. This report provides a concise summary of the outcomes of the brainstorming sessions of the European Rhinology Research Forum 2016