Soliton eigenvalue control with optical lattices

We address the dynamics of higher-order solitons in optical lattices, and predict their self-splitting into the set of their single-soliton constituents. The splitting is induced by the potential introduced by the lattice, together with the imprinting of a phase tilt onto the initial multisoliton states. The phenomenon allows the controllable generation of several coherent solitons linked via their Zakharov-Shabat eigenvalues. Application of the scheme to the generation of correlated matter waves in Bose-Einstein condensates is discussed.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Physical Review Letter

Das Default Mode Network als treibende Kraft hinter Spike-wave Entladungen bei idiopathischen generalisierten Epilepsien

Der Zweck unserer Studie war die Identifikation der Netzwerke, welche an der Generierung und zeitlichen Entwicklung von GSW beteiligt sind, um Rückschlüsse auf den Ursprung und die Ausbreitung der epileptischen Aktivität ziehen zu können. Hierfür wurde mittels EEG-fMRT Lokalisation und Propagation von Spike-wave Komplexen bei Patienten mit IGE (sowohl CAE/JAE als auch JME) auf intra- und interindividueller Ebene untersucht, um die jeweils beteiligten Strukturen herauszufinden. Auf diese Weise konnten wir die epileptische Aktivität mit der BOLD-Antwort des fMRT korrelieren und die aktivierten Regionen identifizieren. Im Ergebnis zeigte sich, dass trotz interindividueller Unterschiede, was die zeitliche Abfolge der Aktivitätsänderungen betrifft, die betroffenen Hirnareale bei allen Patienten durchweg sehr ähnlich waren. Wir beobachteten Signalveränderungen im Thalamus, DMN, Dorsal Attention Network, Salience Network, Basalganglien, dorsolateralen prefrontalen Kortex und im Motorkortex mit supplementärem Motorkortex. So detektierten wir Deaktivierungen im DMN und DAN und Aktivierungen in SN und Thalamus, welche jeweils dem Beginn der GSW im EEG einige Sekunden voraus gingen. Die DCM Analyse erbrachte letztendlich, dass die treibende Kraft der GSW in IGE im DMN begründet liegt. Das beobachtete Wechselspiel zwischen DMN, DAN, SN und Thalamus zeigt eine Runterregulierung des Bewusstseins zugunsten einer verstärkten interozeptiven autonomen Verarbeitung. Das DMN scheint eine zentrale Rolle als Antriebskraft hinter diesen Veränderungen zu spielen. Insgesamt gab es jedoch deutliche Unterschiede in den Aktivitätsmustern der einzelnen Patienten, was eine signifikante Heterogenität in IGE bedeutet trotz des scheinbar homogenen klinischen Bildes

Stabilization of vector solitons in optical lattices

We address the properties and dynamical stability of one-dimensional vector lattice solitons in Kerr-type cubic medium with harmonic transverse modulation of refractive index. We discovered that unstable families of scalar lattice solitons can be stabilized via the cross-phase modulation (XPM) in the vector case. It was found that multi-humped vector solitons that are unstable in uniform media where XPM strength is higher than that of self-phase modulation, can also be stabilized by the lattice.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures. To appear in Physical Review E, vol. 7

Factors associated with 30-day readmission after hospitalisation for community-acquired pneumonia in older patients: a cross-sectional study in seven Spanish regions

Objective: Hospital readmission in patients admitted for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is frequent in the elderly and patients with multiple comorbidities, resulting in a clinical and economic burden. The aim of this study was to determine factors associated with 30-day readmission in patients with CAP. Design: A cross-sectional study. Setting: The study was conducted in patients admitted to 20 hospitals in seven Spanish regions during two influenza seasons (2013-2014 and 2014-2015). Participants: We included patients aged ≥65 years admitted through the emergency department with a diagnosis compatible with CAP. Patients who died during the initial hospitalisation and those hospitalised more than 30 days were excluded. Finally, 1756 CAP cases were included and of these, 200 (11.39%) were readmitted. Main outcome measures: 30-day readmission. Results: Factors associated with 30-day readmission were living with a person aged 3 hospital visits during the 90 previous days (aOR 1.53, 95% CI 1.01 to 2.34), chronic respiratory failure (aOR 1.74, 95% CI 1.24 to 2.45), heart failure (aOR 1.69, 95% CI 1.21 to 2.35), chronic liver disease (aOR 2.27, 95% CI 1.20 to 4.31) and discharge to home with home healthcare (aOR 5.61, 95% CI 1.70 to 18.50). No associations were found with pneumococcal or seasonal influenza vaccination in any of the three previous seasons. Conclusions: This study shows that 11.39% of patients aged ≥65 years initially hospitalised for CAP were readmitted within 30 days after discharge. Rehospitalisation was associated with preventable and non-preventable factor

Gene expression profiling identifies molecular pathways associated with collagen VI deficiency and provides novel therapeutic targets

Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy (UCMD), caused by collagen VI deficiency, is a common congenital muscular dystrophy. At present, the role of collagen VI in muscle and the mechanism of disease are not fully understood. To address this we have applied microarrays to analyse the transcriptome of UCMD muscle and compare it to healthy muscle and other muscular dystrophies. We identified 389 genes which are differentially regulated in UCMD relative to controls. In addition, there were 718 genes differentially expressed between UCMD and dystrophin deficient muscle. In contrast, only 29 genes were altered relative to other congenital muscular dystrophies. Changes in gene expression were confirmed by real-time PCR. The set of regulated genes was analysed by Gene Ontology, KEGG pathways and Ingenuity Pathway analysis to reveal the molecular functions and gene networks associated with collagen VI defects. The most significantly regulated pathways were those involved in muscle regeneration, extracellular matrix remodelling and inflammation. We characterised the immune response in UCMD biopsies as being mainly mediated via M2 macrophages and the complement pathway indicating that anti-inflammatory treatment may be beneficial to UCMD as for other dystrophies. We studied the immunolocalisation of ECM components and found that biglycan, a collagen VI interacting proteoglycan, was reduced in the basal lamina of UCMD patients. We propose that biglycan reduction is secondary to collagen VI loss and that it may be contributing towards UCMD pathophysiology. Consequently, strategies aimed at over-expressing biglycan and restore the link between the muscle cell surface and the extracellular matrix should be considered

Biotecnologia reproductiva en porcí: estat actual i reptes de futur

La biotecnologia reproductiva en porcí inclou les diverses tècniques d'anàlisi de la qualitat seminal i les tècniques de reproducció assistida. Els objectius fonamentals són garantir la seguretat biològica, permetre'n la traçabilitat i incrementar (o estabilitzar) el rendiment reproductiu. Entre les tècniques d'anàlisi de la qualitat seminal destaquem les de determinació de qualitat espermàtica (concentració, motilitat, viabilitat, integritat de membranes i del DNA), les de control de l'estat sanitari (PCR-RT per a detecció de virus i bacteris) i les de determinació del poder fecundant i de la resistència osmòtica. Entre les tècniques de reproducció assistida es practiquen la inseminació artificial (cervical, postcervical i intrauterina), la fecundació in vitro, la injecció intracitoplasmàtica d'espermatozoides, la vitrificació embrionària, la transferència embrionària no quirúrgica, la criopreservació espermàtica, el sexatge d'espermatozoides i d'embrions, el clonatge reproductiu i terapèutic i la transgènesi.Reproductive biotechnology in porcine includes several techniques of analysis of the seminal quality and techniques of assisted reproduction. The main goals are guaranteeing the biological security, allowing the traceability and increasing (or stabilizing) the reproductive yield. Among the techniques of analysis of the seminal quality we highlight those of sperm quality (concentration, motility, viability, integrity of membranes and DNA), those of sanitary control (PCR-RT for the detection of virus and bacteria) and those of determination of fertilizing ability and osmotic resistance. Among the assisted reproduction techniques, there is artificial insemination (cervical, postcervical and intrauterine), in vitro fertilization, intracytoplasmic injection of spermatozoa, embryonic vitrification, non surgical embryonic transfer, sperm cryopreservation, spermatozoa and embryos sexing, reproductive and therapeutic cloning, and transgenity