Pumping current of a Luttinger liquid with finite length

We study transport properties in a Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid in the presence of two time-dependent point like weak impurities, taking into account finite-length effects. By employing analytical methods and performing a perturbation theory, we compute the backscattering pumping current (I_bs) in different regimes which can be established in relation to the oscillatory frequency of the impurities and to the frequency related to the length and the renormalized velocity (by the electron-electron interactions) of the charge density modes. We investigate the role played by the spatial position of the impurity potentials. We also show how the previous infinite length results for I_bs are modified by the finite size of the system.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figure

Study of cosolvent-induced α-chymotrypsin fibrillogenesis: Does protein surface hydrophobicity trigger early stages of aggregation reaction?

The misfolding of specific proteins is often associated with their assembly into fibrillar aggregates, commonly termed amyloid fibrils. Despite the many efforts expended to characterize amyloid formation in vitro, there is no deep knowledge about the environment (in which aggregation occurs) as well as mechanism of this type of protein aggregation. Alpha-chymotrypsin was recently driven toward amyloid aggregation by the addition of intermediate concentrations of trifluoroethanol. In the present study, approaches such as turbidimetric, thermodynamic, intrinsic fluorescence and quenching studies as well as chemical modification have been successfully used to elucidate the underlying role of hydrophobic interactions (involved in early stages of amyloid formation) in α-chymotrypsin-based experimental system. © 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

Interleukin-2/interferon-α2a/13-retinoic acid-based chemoimmunotherapy in advanced renal cell carcinoma: results of a prospectively randomised trial of the German Cooperative Renal Carcinoma Chemoimmunotherapy Group (DGCIN)

We performed a prospectively randomised clinical trial to compare the efficacy of four subcutaneous interleukin-2-(sc-IL-2) and sc interferon-α2a (sc-IFN-α2a)-based outpatient regimens in 379 patients with progressive metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Patients with lung metastases, an erythrocyte sedimentation rate ⩽70 mm h−1 and neutrophil counts ⩽6000 μl−1 (group I) were randomised to arm A: sc-IL-2, sc-IFN-α2a, peroral 13-cis-retinoic acid (po-13cRA) (n=78), or arm B: arm A plus inhaled-IL-2 (n=65). All others (group II) were randomised to arm C: arm A plus intravenous 5-fluorouracil (iv-5-FU) (n=116), or arm D: arm A plus po-Capecitabine (n=120). Median overall survival (OS) was 22 months (arm A; 3-year OS: 29.7%) and 18 months (arm B; 3-year OS: 29.2%) in group I, and 18 months (arm C; 3-year OS: 25.7%) and 16 months (arm D; 3-year OS: 32.6%) in group II. There were no statistically significant differences in OS, progression-free survival, and objective response between arms A and B, and between arms C and D, respectively. Given the known therapeutic efficacy of sc-IL-2/sc-INF-α2a/po-13cRA-based outpatient chemoimmunotherapies, our results did not establish survival advantages in favour of po-Capecitabine vs iv-5-FU, and in favour of short-term inhaled-IL-2 in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma receiving systemic cytokines

Phase III trial of postoperative cisplatin, interferon alpha-2b, and 5-FU combined with external radiation treatment versus 5-FU alone for patients with resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma – CapRI: study protocol [ISRCTN62866759]

After surgical intervention with curative intention in specialised centres the five-year survival of patients with carcinoma of the exocrine pancreas is only 15%. The ESPAC-1 trial showed an increased five-year survival of 21% achieved with adjuvant chemotherapy. Investigators from the Virginia Mason Clinic have reported a 5-year survival rate of 55% in a phase II trial evaluating adjuvant chemotherapy, immunotherapy and external-beam radiation. DESIGN: The CapRI study is an open, controlled, prospective, randomised multi-centre phase III trial. Patients in study arm A will be treated as outpatients with 5-Fluorouracil; Cisplatin and 3 million units Interferon alpha-2b for 5 1/2 weeks combined with external beam radiation. After chemo-radiation the patients receive continuous 5-FU infusions for two more cycles. Patients in study arm B will be treated as outpatients with intravenous bolus injections of folinic acid, followed by intravenous bolus injections of 5-FU given on 5 consecutive days every 28 days for 6 cycles. A total of 110 patients with specimen-proven R0 or R1 resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma will be enrolled. An interim analysis for patient safety reasons will be done one year after start of recruitment. Evaluation of the primary endpoint will be performed two years after the last patients' enrolment. DISCUSSION: The aim of this study is to evaluate the overall survival period attained by chemo-radiotherapy including interferon alpha 2b administration with adjuvant chemotherapy. The influence of interferon alpha on the effectiveness of the patients' chemoradiation regimen, the toxicity, the disease-free interval and the quality of life are analysed. Different factors are tested in terms of their potential role as predictive markers

Chronic Diseases in North-West Tanzania and Southern Uganda. Public Perceptions of Terminologies, Aetiologies, Symptoms and Preferred Management

Research outputs produced to support a quantitative population survey, quantitative health facility survey, focus groups and in-depth interviews performed by the projec

Removal of methylene blue by Saccharomyces cerevisiae: process modelling and optimization

Methylene blue (MB), as a thiazine cationic dye, has been commonly used in dye houses and textile industries. Long exposure to MB can cause health problems such as shocks, hypertension, anemia, nausea, serotonin syndrome, red blood cell breakdown, tissue necrosis and jaundice. The aim of this study was to optimize methylene blue (MB) removal from aqueous solutions by Saccharomyces cerevisiae using the response surface methodology. The influence of various factors including initial dye concentration (10-100 mg/L), solution pH (4-10), reaction time (10-60 min), and S. cerevisiae dosage (0.2-1.5 g/L), was investigated on the process. According to the findings, the obtained levels of MB removal were varied in the range of 36 to 96. The maximum removal of MB (99.16) occurred at pH 9.35, the reaction time of 50.81 min, dye concentration of 14.37 mg/L, and S. cerevisiae dose of 1.32 g/L. The results showed that the code of A with the coefficient of -11.41 was the most important factor in the removal process. The AD and D-2 with the coefficient of -11.30 and -7.76 had the maximum interaction impact, and the maximum square impacts on the process, respectively. The removal rate of MB was directly correlated with reaction time and S. cerevisiae dose. It can be concluded that S. cerevisiae can be considered as a low-cost adsorbent for the removal of MB in the aqueous media