1,601 research outputs found
Evidence for chronic low-grade systemic inflammation in individuals with agoraphobia from a population-based prospective study.
BACKGROUND: Anxiety disorders have been linked to an increased risk of incident coronary heart disease in which inflammation plays a key pathogenic role. To date, no studies have looked at the association between proinflammatory markers and agoraphobia.
METHODS: In a random Swiss population sample of 2890 persons (35-67 years, 53% women), we diagnosed a total of 124 individuals (4.3%) with agoraphobia using a validated semi-structured psychiatric interview. We also assessed socioeconomic status, traditional cardiovascular risk factors (i.e., body mass index, hypertension, blood glucose levels, total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratio), and health behaviors (i.e., smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity), and other major psychiatric diseases (other anxiety disorders, major depressive disorder, drug dependence) which were treated as covariates in linear regression models. Circulating levels of inflammatory markers, statistically controlled for the baseline demographic and health-related measures, were determined at a mean follow-up of 5.5 ± 0.4 years (range 4.7 - 8.5).
RESULTS: Individuals with agoraphobia had significantly higher follow-up levels of C-reactive protein (p = 0.007) and tumor-necrosis-factor-α (p = 0.042) as well as lower levels of the cardioprotective marker adiponectin (p = 0.032) than their non-agoraphobic counterparts. Follow-up levels of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 did not significantly differ between the two groups.
CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest an increase in chronic low-grade inflammation in agoraphobia over time. Such a mechanism might link agoraphobia with an increased risk of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease, and needs to be tested in longitudinal studies
Equivalent thermo-mechanical parameters for perfect crystals
Thermo-elastic behavior of perfect single crystal is considered. The crystal
is represented as a set of interacting particles (atoms). The approach for
determination of equivalent continuum values for the discrete system is
proposed. Averaging of equations of particles' motion and long wave
approximation are used in order to make link between the discrete system and
equivalent continuum. Basic balance equations for equivalent continuum are
derived from microscopic equations. Macroscopic values such as Piola and Cauchy
stress tensors and heat flux are represented via microscopic parameters.
Connection between the heat flux and temperature is discussed. Equation of
state in Mie-Gruneisen form connecting Cauchy stress tensor with deformation
gradient and thermal energy is obtained from microscopic considerations.Comment: To be published in proceedings of IUTAM Simposium on "Vibration
Analysis of Structures with Uncertainties", 2009; 14 pages
Nonlinear high-froude-number free-surface problems
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/42698/1/10665_2005_Article_BF01540946.pd
Cytogenetics of human spermatozoa: human/hamster in vitro fertilization technique
A constituição cromossômica do espermatozóide humano pode ser estudada, atualmente, através da técnica de fertilização “in vitro” (FIV), heteróloga, homem/hamster. Essa técnica permite a individualização dos cromossomos do espermatozóide humano, possibilitando a análise de suas anomalias numéricas e estruturais. O aprimoramento dessa técnica estimulou um novo campo de pesquisa na Citogenética Humana e na Genética Clínica. Sua implantação em nosso laboratório na Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, propiciará melhor estimativa da probabilidade de transmissão de anomalias cromossômicas por células da linhagem germinativa de homens em risco genético.The chromosomal constitution of the human spermatozoa can be studied through the heterologous “in vitro” fertilization (FIV) technique (human/hamster). This technique allows the identification of the human sperm chromosomes as well as its numerical and structural analyses. The improvement of this technique has stimulated a new field of research in Human Cytogenetics and in Clinical Genetics. Its implantation in our laboratory at the Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, favor better estimates of the probability of the transmission of chromosomal anomalies by germ cell lines of males at genetic risk
Optimal quantum pump in the presence of a superconducting lead
We investigate the parametric pumping of a hybrid structure consisting of a
normal quantum dot, a normal lead and a superconducting lead. Using the time
dependent scattering matrix theory, we have derived a general expression for
the pumped electric current and heat current. We have also derived the
relationship among the instantaneous pumped heat current, electric current, and
shot noise. This gives a lower bound for the pumped heat current in the hybrid
system similar to that of the normal case obtained by Avron et al
Variational Monte Carlo study of the ground state properties and vacancy formation energy of solid para-H2 using a shadow wave function
A Shadow Wave Function (SWF) is employed along with Variational Monte Carlo
techniques to describe the ground state properties of solid molecular
para-hydrogen. The study has been extended to densities below the equilibrium
value, to obtain a parameterization of the SWF useful for the description of
inhomogeneous phases. We also present an estimate of the vacancy formation
energy as a function of the density, and discuss the importance of relaxation
effects near the vacant site
Transport spectroscopy in a time-modulated open quantum dot
We have investigated the time-modulated coherent quantum transport phenomena
in a ballistic open quantum dot. The conductance and the electron dwell
time in the dots are calculated by a time-dependent mode-matching method. Under
high-frequency modulation, the traversing electrons are found to exhibit three
types of resonant scatterings. They are intersideband scatterings: into
quasibound states in the dots, into true bound states in the dots, and into
quasibound states just beneath the subband threshold in the leads. Dip
structures or fano structures in are their signatures. Our results show
structures due to 2 intersideband processes. At the above
scattering resonances, we have estimated, according to our dwell time
calculation, the number of round-trip scatterings that the traversing electrons
undertake between the two dot openings.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure
Master equation approach to the conjugate pairing rule of Lyapunov spectra for many-particle thermostatted systems
The master equation approach to Lyapunov spectra for many-particle systems is
applied to non-equilibrium thermostatted systems to discuss the conjugate
pairing rule. We consider iso-kinetic thermostatted systems with a shear flow
sustained by an external restriction, in which particle interactions are
expressed as a Gaussian white randomness. Positive Lyapunov exponents are
calculated by using the Fokker-Planck equation to describe the tangent vector
dynamics. We introduce another Fokker-Planck equation to describe the
time-reversed tangent vector dynamics, which allows us to calculate the
negative Lyapunov exponents. Using the Lyapunov exponents provided by these two
Fokker-Planck equations we show the conjugate pairing rule is satisfied for
thermostatted systems with a shear flow in the thermodynamic limit. We also
give an explicit form to connect the Lyapunov exponents with the
time-correlation of the interaction matrix in a thermostatted system with a
color field.Comment: 10 page
Systematic study of the pp -> pp omega reaction
A systematic study of the production of omega-mesons in
proton-proton-collisions was carried out in a kinematically complete experiment
at three excess energies(epsilon= 92, 128, 173MeV). Both protons were detected
using the large-acceptance COSY-TOF spectrometer at an external beam line at
the Cooler Synchrotron COSY at Forschungszentrum J\"ulich. The total cross
section, angular distributions of both omega-mesons and protons were measured
and presented in various reference frames such as the overall CMS, helicity and
Jackson frame. In addition, the orientation of the omega-spin and invariant
mass spectra were determined. We observe omega-production to take place
dominantly in Ss and Sp final states at epsilon = 92, 128 MeV and,
additionally, in Sd at epsilon= 173 MeV. No obvious indication of resonant
omega-production via N^*-resonances was found, as proton angular distributions
are almost isotropic and invariant mass spectra are compatible with phase space
distributions. A dominant role of ^3P_1 and ^1S_0 initial partial waves for
omega-production was concluded from the orientation of the decay plane of the
omega-meson. Although the Jackson angle distributions in the omega-p-Jackson
frame are anisotropic we argue that this is not an indication of a resonance
but rather a kinematical effect reflecting the anisotropy of the omega angular
distribution. The helicity angle distribution in the omega-p-helicity frame
shows an anisotropy which probably reflects effects of the omega angular
momenta in the final state; this observable may be, in addition to the
orientation of the omega decay plane, the most sensitive one to judge the
validity of theoretical descriptions of the production process.Comment: 17 pages, 16 figures, accepted for publication in EPJ
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