Large amplitude pairing fluctuations in atomic nuclei

Pairing fluctuations are self-consistently incorporated on the same footing as the quadrupole deformations in present state of the art calculations including particle number and angular momentum conservation as well as configuration mixing. The approach is complemented by the use of the finite range density dependent Gogny force which, with a unique source for the particle-hole and particle-particle interactions, guarantees a self-consistent interplay in both channels. We have applied our formalism to study the role of the pairing degree of freedom in the description of the most relevant observables like spectra, transition probabilities, separation energies, etc. We find that the inclusion of pairing fluctuations mostly affects the description of excited states, depending on the excitation energy and the angular momentum. $E0$ transition probabilities experiment rather big changes while $E2$'s are less affected. Genuine pairing vibrations are thoroughly studied with the conclusion that deformations strongly inhibits their existence. These studies have been performed for a selection of nuclei: spherical, deformed and with different degree of collectivity.Comment: 23 pages, 23 Figures, To be published in Phys. Rev.

Estudio de las fluctuaciones de apareamiento en núcleos atómicos con teorías más allá del campo medio

Tesis doctoral inédita leída en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Física Teórica. Fecha de lectura: 13-06-2014La aproximación de campo medio autoconsistente con interacciones efectivas fenomenológicas ha sido muy exitosa para describir la mayoría de las características nucleares a lo largo de toda la carta de núcleos. Este éxito está estrechamente relacionado con la ruptura espontánea de las simetrías, que permite describir el sistema de muchos cuerpos con una sola función de onda intrínseca simple de tipo producto que incorpora correlaciones asociadas a la deformación y al apareamiento. No obstante, para hacer estudios espectroscópicos y/o describir sistemas con coexistencia de forma, se han de aplicar teorías que vayan más allá de la aproximación de campo medio. En este trabajo, se van a mostrar resultados obtenidos con la interacción de Gogny aplicando métodos más allá del campo medio que incluyen la restauraci ón de la simetría del número de partículas y de invariancia rotacional con métodos de proyección, además de mezcla de configuraciones llevada a cabo mediante el método de la coordenada generadora. Se va a incidir en la relevancia de la proyección al número de partículas con el método de la variación después de la proyección y en papel que juega la autoconsistencia para determinar los estados de la base. En particular, estos métodos han sido utilizados para estudiar, por primera vez, de manera simultánea la deformación cuadrupolar y las fluctuaciones de apareamiento. Se investigará de manera minuciosa la influencia de las fluctuaciones de apareamiento de gran amplitud en el marco teórico que ha sido descrito más arriba. Se va a estudiar el efecto de los grados de libertad mencionados en la estructura nuclear. Para ello, se van a analizar las energías de excitación, así como otros observables relevantes: las probabilidades de transición E0 y E2, o las energías de separación. Estos estudios se han hecho para una selección de núcleos: esféricos, deformados y con diferente grado de colectividad. Encontramos que los efectos de las fluctuaciones de apareamiento aumentan con la energía de excitación y a mayor momento angular. Además, se van a estudiar en detalle las vibraciones de apareamiento y su relación con el grado de libertad cuadrupolar, obteniéndose que la deforma- ción inhibe fuertemente dichas vibraciones. Para terminar, se van a investigar los elementos de matriz nuclear del proceso de desintegración doble beta sin emisión de neutrinos para los núcleos donde la detección de dicho proceso -que implica física más allá del modelo estándar- es más plausible. Se va a evaluar el papel que juegan la deformaci ón y el apareamiento en dichos elementos de matriz. Encontramos un importante aumento del valor de los elementos de matriz con respecto a los que se obtienen cuando no se incluyen las fluctuaciones de apareamiento, lo que implica una reducción de las vidas medias de dichos isótoposSelf-consistent mean field approaches with effective phenomenological interactions have succeed in describing many bulk properties along the whole nuclear chart. This success is closely related to the spontaneous symmetry breaking mechanism that allows the inclusion of many correlations within a very simple intrinsic product wave function. However, in some cases this picture fails in taking into account important correlations and methods beyond the mean field approach have to be applied. In this work I will show some recent results obtained with the Gogny interaction applying methods beyond mean field that include particle number and rotational symmetry restoration, plus configuration mixing within generating coordinate method framework. Hence, the relevance of the particle number projection before the variation method and the self-consistency in determining the basis states will be analyzed. In particular, these methods are applied for the first time to study the quadrupole deformation and pairing fluctuations on the same footing. Especially, the influence of large amplitude pairing fluctuations is thoroughly investigated in the framework depicted above. I will discuss the influence of both degrees of freedom on the resulting nuclear structure, analyzing the spectroscopic properties. Relevant observables like excitation energies, E0 and E2 transition probabilities, or separation energies are also studied. These studies have been performed for a selection of nuclei: spherical, deformed and with different degrees of collectivity. As a result, an increase of the effect of the pairing fluctuations with increasing the excitation energy and angular momentum is found. I will also deal the topic about pairing vibrations. They are studied in detail with the conclusion that deformations strongly inhibits their existence. To close, we present an study of the nuclear matrix elements for the neutrinoless double-beta decay calculated for the most promising candidates to detect this process beyond the standard model. In particular, the role of the deformation and pairing on such nuclear matrix elements are analyzed. An important increase in the value with respect to the ones found without the inclusion of pairing fluctuations is obtained, reducing the predicted half-lives of these isotopes

On the impact of large amplitude pairing fluctuations on nuclear spectra

The influence of large amplitude pairing fluctuations is investigated in the framework of beyond mean field symmetry conserving configuration mixing calculations. In the numerical application the finite range density dependent Gogny force is used. We investigate the nucleus $^{54}$Cr with particle number and angular momentum projected wave functions considering the axial quadrupole deformation and the pairing gap degree of freedom as generator coordinates. We find that the effects of the pairing fluctuations increase with the excitation energy and the angular momentum. The self-consistency in the determination of the basis states plays an important role.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure

Synthesis and cytotoxic activity of pyridazino[1 ',6 ': 1,2] pyrido[3,4-b]indol-5-inium derivatives as anti-cancer agents

Several new pyridazino[1′,6′:1,2]pyrido[3,4-b]indol-5-inium derivatives were synthesised from β-carboline derivatives and their cytotoxic activity and effect on the cell cycle were evaluated against L1210 cancer cells

Chronic cannabinoid administration to periadolescent rats modulates the metabolic response to acute cocaine in the adult brain

Purpose: To analyze brain metabolic response to acute cocaine in male and female Wistar rats with or without a history of cannabinoid exposure during periadolescence. Procedures: The synthetic cannabinoid agonist CP 55,940 (CP) or its vehicle (VH), were administered to male and female rats during periadolescence. When these animals reached adulthood, saline and cocaine-induced changes in 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro D glucose (FDG) uptake were studied by positron emission tomography. Results: The baseline (post-saline) metabolism in the septal nuclei was higher in CP-females than in VH-females, although septal metabolism was lower in CP-females after cocaine, reaching similar values to those of VH-females at baseline. Cocaine did not affect metabolism in VH-females. Periadolescent cannabinoid treatment did not influence baseline metabolism in males although cocaine reduced the FDG uptake in the dorsal striatum of males that received the VH but not CP. Conclusions: These results suggest that cannabinoids during periadolescence modify baseline and cocaine-evoked brain metabolism in a sex-dependent manner. In the case of CP-females, the involvement of septal metabolic alterations in their susceptibility to the rewarding effects of cocaine should be further investigated.This work was supported by grants from the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (Grants nº SAF2004-08148 and SAF2007-064890); Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo (Grants RD06/ 00170029 of Instituto de Salud Carlos III, PNSD 2004 2007 and 2008 2010); Dirección General de Investigación de la Comunidad de Madrid (Grant S-SAL/0261/2006, I+D CANNAB-CM Consortium); and UNED (Plan de Promoción de la Investigación) to EA, and grants from the “Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología” (TEC2004-07052-C02-01/TCM), “Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo” (CIBER CB06/01/0079, PNSD 2007 2010, FIS CP08/00017), “Ministerio de Industria” (CENIT program) and “Fundación de Investigación Médica Mutua Madrileña” (2007 2010 and 2008 2011) to MD.Publicad

Long-term effects in bone mineral density after different bariatric procedures in patients with type 2 diabetes: outcomes of a randomized clinical trial

There is scant evidence of the long-term effects of bariatric surgery on bone mineral density (BMD). We compared BMD changes in patients with severe obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) 5 years after randomization to metabolic gastric bypass (mRYGB), sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and greater curvature plication (GCP). We studied the influence of first year gastrointestinal hormone changes on final bone outcomes. Forty-five patients, averaging 49.4 (7.8) years old and body mass index (BMI) 39.4 (1.9) kg/m(2), were included. BMD at lumbar spine (LS) was lower after mRYGB compared to SG and GCP: 0.89 [0.82;0.94] vs. 1.04 [0.91;1.16] vs. 0.99 [0.89;1.12],p= 0.020. A higher percentage of LS osteopenia was present after mRYGB 78.6% vs. 33.3% vs. 50.0%, respectively. BMD reduction was greater in T2D remitters vs. non-remitters. Weight at fifth year predicted BMD changes at the femoral neck (FN) (adjustedR(2): 0.3218;p= 0.002), and type of surgery (mRYGB) and menopause predicted BMD changes at LS (adjustedR(2): 0.2507;p< 0.015). In conclusion, mRYGB produces higher deleterious effects on bone at LS compared to SG and GCP in the long-term. Women in menopause undergoing mRYGB are at highest risk of bone deterioration. Gastrointestinal hormone changes after surgery do not play a major role in BMD outcomes

The incidence of clinical fractures in adults aged 50 years and older in Spain

Objective. The aim of this study was to quantify the incidence of all clinical fractures, including traumatic and fragility fractures, in patients aged 50 years and older, and to describe their distribution by fracture location, sex and age. Methods. The incidence of clinical fractures at 10 hospitals in Catalonia, with a reference population of 3 155 000 inhabitants, was studied. For 1 week, from 30 May to 5 June 2016, we reviewed the discharge reports of the Traumatology section of the Emergency Department to identify all fractures diagnosed in patients ≥50 years of age. As a validation technique, data collection was carried out for 1 year at one of the centres, from 1 December 2015 to 30 November 2016. The fracture incidence, including the 95% CI, was estimated for the entire sample and grouped by fracture type, location, sex and age. Results. A total of 283 fractures were identified. Seventy per cent were in women, with a mean age of 72 years. The overall fracture incidence was 11.28 per 1000 person-years (95% CI: 11.10, 11.46), with an incidence of traumatic and fragility fractures of 4.15 (95% CI: 4.04, 4.26) and 7.13 per 1000 person-years (95% CI: 6.99, 7.28), respectively. The incidence of fractures observed in the validation sample coincided with that estimated for the whole of Catalonia. The most common fragility fractures were of the hip, forearm, humerus and vertebrae. Conclusion. The results of this study are the first to estimate the incidence of clinical fragility fractures in Spain, grouped by location, age and sex

Brain metabolism in lewis and fischer 344 rats after morphine self-administration and extinction: a PET imaging study

Proceeding of: The 72nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence, Scottsdale, Arizona, June 12-17, 2010.MICINN (SAF2007-064890); Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo (RD06/001/0029 y CP08/00017 del ISC III; Plan Nacional sobre Drogas 2004-2007 y 2008-2010); Fundación Mutua Madrileña; and CAM (S-SAL/0261/2006)

An Experimental DUAL Model of Advanced Liver Damage

Individuals exhibiting an intermediate alcohol drinking pattern in conjunction with signs of metabolic risk present clinical features of both alcohol-associated and metabolic-associated fatty liver diseases. However, such combination remains an unexplored area of great interest, given the increasing number of patients affected. In the present study, we aimed to develop a preclinical DUAL (alcohol-associated liver disease plus metabolic-associated fatty liver disease) model in mice. C57BL/6 mice received 10% vol/vol alcohol in sweetened drinking water in combination with a Western diet for 10, 23, and 52 weeks (DUAL model). Animals fed with DUAL diet elicited a significant increase in body mass index accompanied by a pronounced hypertrophy of adipocytes, hypercholesterolemia, and hyperglycemia. Significant liver damage was characterized by elevated plasma alanine aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase levels, extensive hepatomegaly, hepatocyte enlargement, ballooning, steatosis, hepatic cell death, and compensatory proliferation. Notably, DUAL animals developed lobular inflammation and advanced hepatic fibrosis. Sequentially, bridging cirrhotic changes were frequently observed after 12 months. Bulk RNA-sequencing analysis indicated that dysregulated molecular pathways in DUAL mice were similar to those of patients with steatohepatitis. Conclusion: Our DUAL model is characterized by obesity, glucose intolerance, liver damage, prominent steatohepatitis and fibrosis, as well as inflammation and fibrosis in white adipose tissue. Altogether, the DUAL model mimics all histological, metabolic, and transcriptomic gene signatures of human advanced steatohepatitis, and therefore serves as a preclinical tool for the development of therapeutic targets.Supported by EXOHEP-CM (S2017/BMD-3727), Ramón y Cajal (RYC-2014-15242 and RYC-2015-17438), NanoLiver-CM (Y2018/NMT-4949), COST Action (CA17112), AMMF (2018/117), ERAB (EA 18/14), MINECO Retos (SAF2016-78711 and SAF2017-87919-R), and German Research Foundation (DFG NE 2128/2-1, SFB 1382-403224013/A02, and SFB/TRR57/P04). FJC is a Gilead Research Liver Scholar. The research group belongs to the validated Research group Ref. 970935 “Liver Pathophysiology”, 920631 “Lymphocyte immunology”, 920361 “Immunogenética e inmunología de las mucosas” and IBL-6 (imas12-associated). FG and KZ are Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC) fellows. O.E.-V is supported by Beca FPI (associated to MINECO SAF2017-87919R) and R.B.-U. by Contratos predoctorales de personal investigador en formación UCM-Banco Santander (CT63/19)