QCD Effects in High Energy Processes

In this talk, some important QCD effects in Higgs physics, supersymmetry and top physics, as well as the factorization and resummation techniques in QCD are reviewed.Comment: LaTeX, 13 pages, uses ws-ijmpa.cls. Based on an invited talk at the International Conference on QCD and Hadronic Physics, Beijing, China, June 16--20, 2005. Minor change

Suppression of laser beam's polarization and intensity fluctuation via a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with proper feedback

Long ground-Rydberg coherence lifetime is interesting for implementing high-fidelity quantum logic gates, many-body physics, and other quantum information protocols. However, the potential well formed by a conventional far-off-resonance red-detuned optical-dipole trap that is attractive for ground-state cold atoms is usually repulsive for Rydberg atoms, which will result in the rapid loss of atoms and low repetition rate of the experimental sequence. Moreover, the coherence time will be sharply shortened due to the residual thermal motion of cold atoms. These issues can be addressed by a one-dimensional magic lattice trap, which can form a deeper potential trap than the traveling wave optical dipole trap when the output power is limited. In addition, these common techniques for atomic confinement generally have certain requirements for the polarization and intensity stability of the laser. Here, we demonstrated a method to suppress both the polarization drift and power fluctuation only based on the phase management of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer for a one-dimensional magic lattice trap. With the combination of three wave plates and the interferometer, we used the instrument to collect data in the time domain, analyzed the fluctuation of laser intensity, and calculated the noise power spectral density. We found that the total intensity fluctuation comprising laser power fluctuation and polarization drift was significantly suppressed, and the noise power spectral density after closed-loop locking with a typical bandwidth of 1-3000 Hz was significantly lower than that under the free running of the laser system. Typically, at 1000 Hz, the noise power spectral density after locking was about 10 dB lower than that under the free running of a master oscillator power amplifier system.The intensity-polarization control technique provides potential applications

Bile acids cycle disruption in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma promotes the elevation of interleukin-10 secretion

Background: Unclear pathogenesis existed for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.Aims: to analyze the role of bile acids in the pathogenesis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.Methods: 20 healthy volunteers and 20 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma were enrolled between January 1st, 2013 and December 31st, 2014. ESI-QTOF-MS analysis of serum was performed to find altered bile acids components. The biological function of changed bile acids was investigated using in vitro experiment.Results: Compared with healthy volunteers, the level of DCA and GDCA exhibited higher abundance in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (p<0.01). Furthermore, the biological function was investigated for the inhibition of DCA and GDCA towards the secretion of IL-10 by CD4+CD25- T cells. Both DCA and GDCA significantly inhibited the secretion of IL-10 by CD4+CD25- T cells. Furthermore, DCA+GDCA can show stronger inhibition towards the secretion of IL-10 than DCA and GDCA.Conclusion: The inhibition of IL-10 secretion by elevated DCA and GDCA components in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients is the inducer for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.Key words: nasopharyngeal carcinoma, interleukin-10 (IL-10), pathogenesis, T cell, bile acids

Integrating Building Information Modelling and Firefly Algorithm to Optimize Tower Crane Layout

Abstract - Tower crane layout design and planning within construction site is a common construction technical issue and regarded as a complex combinatorial problem. To transport heavy materials, such as rebar, formwork, scaffolding, equipment and steel, tower cranes are needed and should be well located to reduce construction cost and improve safety management. Currently, practitioners in the industry are over-reliance on individual experience and subjective judgment during decision-making process. The purpose of this paper wants to develop a well-defined approach, which integrating Building Information Modelling (BIM) and firefly algorithm to come up with an optimal tower crane layout for construction projects. Firstly, BIM technology is utilized to automatically generate the quantity of materials which need to be transported. Then firefly algorithms are used to determine the locations of tower cranes, supply points and demand points according to transportation requirement, time and cost. Thirdly, the optimal tower crane layout scheme will be visualized by 4-Dimension (4D) BIM to verify its constructability and safety based on computer simulation and individual experience. Finally, a practical case is selected to evaluate the developed approach. In addition, some lessons learned and issues are highlighted that help direct future research and implementation. The optimization results of the example are very promising and it demonstrates the application value of the approach

Bile acids cycle disruption in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma promotes the elevation of interleukin-10 secretion

Background: Unclear pathogenesis existed for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Aims: to analyze the role of bile acids in the pathogenesis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Methods: 20 healthy volunteers and 20 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma were enrolled between January 1st, 2013 and December 31st, 2014. ESI-QTOF-MS analysis of serum was performed to find altered bile acids components. The biological function of changed bile acids was investigated using in vitro experiment. Results: Compared with healthy volunteers, the level of DCA and GDCA exhibited higher abundance in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (p<0.01). Furthermore, the biological function was investigated for the inhibition of DCA and GDCA towards the secretion of IL-10 by CD4+CD25- T cells. Both DCA and GDCA significantly inhibited the secretion of IL-10 by CD4+CD25- T cells. Furthermore, DCA+GDCA can show stronger inhibition towards the secretion of IL-10 than DCA and GDCA. Conclusion: The inhibition of IL-10 secretion by elevated DCA and GDCA components in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients is the inducer for nasopharyngeal carcinoma

The Severity of Fatty Liver Disease Relating to Metabolic Abnormalities Independently Predicts Coronary Calcification

Background. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the metabolic disorders presented in liver. The relationship between severity of NAFLD and coronary atherosclerotic burden remains largely unknown. Methods and Materials. We analyzed subjects undergoing coronary calcium score evaluation by computed tomography (MDCT) and fatty liver assessment using abdominal ultrasonography. Framingham risk score (FRS) and metabolic risk score (MRS) were obtained in all subjects. A graded, semiquantitative score was established to quantify the severity of NAFLD. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to depict the association between NAFLD and calcium score. Results. Of all, 342 participants (female: 22.5%, mean age: 48.7 ± 7.0 years) met the sufficient information rendering detailed analysis. The severity of NAFLD was positively associated with MRS (X2 = 6.12, trend P < 0.001) and FRS (X2 = 5.88, trend P < 0.001). After multivariable adjustment for clinical variables and life styles, the existence of moderate to severe NAFLD was independently associated with abnormal calcium score (P < 0.05). Conclusion. The severity of NAFLD correlated well with metabolic abnormality and was independently predict coronary calcification beyond clinical factors. Our data suggests that NAFLD based on ultrasonogram could positively reflect the burden of coronary calcification

Biomarkers in long COVID-19: A systematic review

PurposeLong COVID, also known as post-acute sequelae of COVID-19, refers to the constellation of long-term symptoms experienced by people suffering persistent symptoms for one or more months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Blood biomarkers can be altered in long COVID patients; however, biomarkers associated with long COVID symptoms and their roles in disease progression remain undetermined. This study aims to systematically evaluate blood biomarkers that may act as indicators or therapeutic targets for long COVID.MethodsA systematic literature review in PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL was performed on 18 August 2022. The search keywords long COVID-19 symptoms and biomarkers were used to filter out the eligible studies, which were then carefully evaluated.ResultsIdentified from 28 studies and representing six biological classifications, 113 biomarkers were significantly associated with long COVID: (1) Cytokine/Chemokine (38, 33.6%); (2) Biochemical markers (24, 21.2%); (3) Vascular markers (20, 17.7%); (4) Neurological markers (6, 5.3%); (5) Acute phase protein (5, 4.4%); and (6) Others (20, 17.7%). Compared with healthy control or recovered patients without long COVID symptoms, 79 biomarkers were increased, 29 were decreased, and 5 required further determination in the long COVID patients. Of these, up-regulated Interleukin 6, C-reactive protein, and tumor necrosis factor alpha might serve as the potential diagnostic biomarkers for long COVID. Moreover, long COVID patients with neurological symptoms exhibited higher levels of neurofilament light chain and glial fibrillary acidic protein whereas those with pulmonary symptoms exhibited a higher level of transforming growth factor beta.ConclusionLong COVID patients present elevated inflammatory biomarkers after initial infection. Our study found significant associations between specific biomarkers and long COVID symptoms. Further investigations are warranted to identify a core set of blood biomarkers that can be used to diagnose and manage long COVID patients in clinical practice