Supergravity Higgs Inflation and Shift Symmetry in Electroweak Theory

We present a model of inflation in a supergravity framework in the Einstein frame where the Higgs field of the next to minimal supersymmetric standard model (NMSSM) plays the role of the inflaton. Previous attempts which assumed non-minimal coupling to gravity failed due to a tachyonic instability of the singlet field during inflation. A canonical K\"{a}hler potential with \textit{minimal coupling} to gravity can resolve the tachyonic instability but runs into the $\eta$-problem. We suggest a model which is free of the $\eta$-problem due to an additional coupling in the K\"{a}hler potential which is allowed by the Standard Model gauge group. This induces directions in the potential which we call K-flat. For a certain value of the new coupling in the (N)MSSM, the K\"{a}hler potential is special, because it can be associated with a certain shift symmetry for the Higgs doublets, a generalization of the shift symmetry for singlets in earlier models. We find that K-flat direction has $H_u^0=-H_d^{0*}.$ This shift symmetry is broken by interactions coming from the superpotential and gauge fields. This direction fails to produce successful inflation in the MSSM but produces a viable model in the NMSSM. The model is specifically interesting in the Peccei-Quinn (PQ) limit of the NMSSM. In this limit the model can be confirmed or ruled-out not just by cosmic microwave background observations but also by axion searches.Comment: matches the published version at JCA

Software to compute infinitesimal symmetries of exterior differenial systems, with applications

A description is given of a software package to compute symmetries of partial differential equations, using computer algebra. As an application, the computation of higher-order symmetries of the classical Boussinesq equation is given leading to the recursion operator for symmetries in a straightforward way. Nonlocal symmetries for the Federbush model are obtained yielding the linearization of the model

Variation in Prices Charged to Patients for Specialty Intraocular Lenses Inserted during Universally Covered Cataract Surgery

Patients often pay for specialty intraocular lenses (IOLs) for cataract surgery covered by universal insurance. This practice creates the potential for inequitable pricing where the medical service provider is also the retailer. We measured the variation in prices between cataract surgeons for the same IOL and associated testing.We telephoned every cataract surgeon in Ontario, Canada, and asked their price for the most common type of specialty IOL as a prospective patient. We measured the total prices quoted and variation between providers.We contacted 404 ophthalmologists. There were 256 that performed cataract surgery but 127 offered the most commonly employed specialty IOL and would provide a price to patients over the telephone. We obtained prices from all 127 ophthalmologists. Prices for the same lens and associated testing varied substantially between ophthalmologists from $358 to$2790 (median $615, interquartile range$528-$915). There was variation in all components of the total out-of-pocket price, including the price for the IOL itself, charges for uninsured eye measurements, and non-specific supplemental fees.Although cataract surgery is covered by public health insurance, some ophthalmologists charge much more than others for the same specialty IOL and associated testing. Greater access to price information and better regulatory control could help ensure patients receive fair value for out-of-pocket health expenses

Outcome in recurrent head neck cancer treated with salvage-IMRT

BACKGROUND: Recurrent head neck cancer (rHNC) is a known unfavourable prognostic condition. The purpose of this work was to analyse our rHNC subgroup treated with salvage-intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for curable recurrence after initial surgery alone. Patients Between 4/2003-9/2008, 44 patients with squamous cell rHNC were referred for IMRT, mean/median 33/21 (3-144) months after initial surgery. None had prior head neck radiation. 41% underwent definitive, 59% postoperative IMRT (66-72.6Gy). 70% had simultaneous chemotherapy. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of the outcome following salvage IMRT in rHNC patients was performed. RESULTS: After mean/median 25/21 months (3-67), 22/44 (50%) patients were alive with no disease; 4 (9%) were alive with disease. 18 patients (41%) died of disease. Kaplan Meier 2-year disease specific survival (DSS), disease free survival (DFS), local and nodal control rates of the cohort were 59/49/56 and 68%, respectively. Known risk factors (advanced initial pTN, marginal initial resection, multiple recurrences) showed no significant outcome differences. Risk factors and the presence of macroscopic recurrence gross tumor volume (rGTV) in oral cavity patients vs others resulted in statistically significantly lower DSS (30 vs 70% at 2 years, p=0.03). With respect to the assessed unfavourable outcome following salvage treatment, numbers needed to treat to avoid one recurrence with initial postoperative IMRT have, in addition, been calculated. CONCLUSION: A low salvage rate of only ~50% at 2 years was found. Calculated numbers of patients needed to treat with postoperative radiation after initial surgery, in order to avoid recurrence and tumor-specific death, suggest a rather generous use of adjuvant irradiation, usually with simultaneous chemotherapy

A survey of individual preference for colorectal cancer screening technique

BACKGROUND: Due to the low participation in colorectal cancer screening, public preference for colorectal cancer screening modality was determined. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was performed of healthy ambulatory adults in a pediatrics primary care office and neighboring church. Overall preference was ranked for each of four colorectal cancer screening modalities: Faecal Occult Blood, Fiberoptic Sigmoidoscopy, Barium Enema and Colonoscopy. Four additional domains of preference also were ranked: suspected discomfort, embarrassment, inconvenience and danger of each exam. RESULTS: 80 surveys were analyzed, 57 of which were received from participants who had experienced none of the screening tests. Fecal Occult Blood Testing is significantly preferred over each other screening modality in overall preference and every domain of preference, among all subjects and those who had experienced none of the tests. CONCLUSIONS: Efforts to increase public participation in colorectal cancer screening may be more effective if undertaken in the context of public perceptions of screening choices

Phylogenetic organization of bacterial activity.

Phylogeny is an ecologically meaningful way to classify plants and animals, as closely related taxa frequently have similar ecological characteristics, functional traits and effects on ecosystem processes. For bacteria, however, phylogeny has been argued to be an unreliable indicator of an organism\u27s ecology owing to evolutionary processes more common to microbes such as gene loss and lateral gene transfer, as well as convergent evolution. Here we use advanced stable isotope probing with (13)C and (18)O to show that evolutionary history has ecological significance for in situ bacterial activity. Phylogenetic organization in the activity of bacteria sets the stage for characterizing the functional attributes of bacterial taxonomic groups. Connecting identity with function in this way will allow scientists to begin building a mechanistic understanding of how bacterial community composition regulates critical ecosystem functions.The ISME Journal advance online publication, 4 March 2016; doi:10.1038/ismej.2016.28

High mesothelin correlates with chemoresistance and poor survival in epithelial ovarian carcinoma

The objective of this paper is to investigate the mesothelin expression level to the clinicopathological features, chemoresponse, and to the outcome of patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC). Mesothelin mRNA was detected by real-time quantitative reverse-transcription PCR in 139 EOC patients. Clinical characteristics, histopathological items, responses to chemotherapy, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were recorded. Tumours with advanced stages had higher mesothelin than those with early stages. The chemoresistant patients showed significantly higher mesothelin than did chemosensitive patients (2.81 vs 0.43, P<0.001), irrespective of optimal or suboptimal surgery in those with advanced stages. Highly expressed levels of mesothelin were an independent but poor prognostic factor in the PFS (2.03 (1.23–3.37) P=0.006) and OS (3.72 (1.64–8.45), P=0.002) of the 139 EOC patients in multivariate analysis. In addition, patients in advanced stages with highly expressed mesothelin also had significantly worse OS, regardless of whether they had undergone optimal (13.85 (1.76–125.60), P=0.013) or suboptimal (4.47 (1.83–10.88), P=0.001) debulking surgery in multivariate analysis. Out results provide new evidence that mesothelin expression is associated with chemoresistance and with shorter disease-free survival and worse OS of patients with EOC

Operating organic light-emitting diodes imaged by super-resolution spectroscopy

Super-resolution stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy is adapted here for materials characterization that would not otherwise be possible. With the example of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), spectral imaging with pixel-by-pixel wavelength discrimination allows us to resolve local-chain environment encoded in the spectral response of the semi-conducting polymer, and correlate chain packing with local electroluminescence by using externally applied current as the excitation source. We observe nanoscopic defects that would be unresolvable by traditional microscopy. They are revealed in electroluminescence maps in operating OLEDs with 50 nm spatial resolution. We find that brightest emission comes from regions with more densely packed chains. Conventional microscopy of an operating OLED would lack the resolution needed to discriminate these features, while traditional methods to resolve nanoscale features generally cannot be performed when the device is operating. This points the way towards real-time analysis of materials design principles in devices as they actually operateope

GAS6 Enhances Repair Following Cuprizone-Induced Demyelination

Growth arrest-specific protein 6 (gas6) activities are mediated through the Tyro3, Axl, and Mer family of receptor tyrosine kinases. Gas6 is expressed and secreted by a wide variety of cell types, including cells of the central nervous system (CNS). In this study, we tested the hypothesis that administration of recombinant human Gas6 (rhGas6) protein into the CNS improves recovery following cuprizone withdrawal. After a 4-week cuprizone diet, cuprizone was removed and PBS or rhGas6 (400 ng/ml, 4 µg/ml and 40 µg/ml) was delivered by osmotic mini-pump into the corpus callosum of C57Bl6 mice for 14 days. Nine of 11 (82%) PBS-treated mice had abundant lipid-associated debris in the corpus callosum by Oil-Red-O staining while only 4 of 19 (21%) mice treated with rhGas6 had low Oil-Red-O positive droplets. In rhGas6-treated mice, SMI32-positive axonal spheroids and APP-positive deposits were reduced in number relative to PBS-treated mice. Compared to PBS, rhGas6 enhanced remyelination as revealed by MBP immunostaining and electron microscopy. The rhGas6-treated mice had more oligodendrocytes expressing Olig1 in the cytoplasm, indicative of oligodendrocyte progenitor cell maturation. Relative to PBS-treated mice, rhGas6-treated mice had fewer activated microglia in the corpus callosum by Iba1 immunostaining. The data show that rhGas6 treatment resulted in more efficient repair following cuprizone-induced injury