2,010 research outputs found
SERUM VITAMIN D AND MAGNESIUM LEVELS IN A PSYCHIATRIC COHORT
Background: Both Vitamin D deficiency and magnesium deficiency have an increased prevalence and have been associated with
an increased risk of and increased severity of symptoms in both depression and schizophrenia (Boerman 2016, Tarleton & Littenberg
2015). This effect appears more pronounced in younger populations and is often apparent from the time of initial diagnosis and is
present with adjustment for confounding factors. Thus, the evidence suggests that Vitamin D and magnesium deficiency reflects not
only dietary or somatic aspects of health but also may have a role in the pathophysiology of depression and schizophrenia.
Subjects and methods: A single site audit of serum Vitamin D and magnesium levels in patients at an Acute Day Treatment Unit
was carried out. Blood tests were performed on admission and analysed in house. Data were collected between April - June 2019
and was analysed subsequently, as described below (n=73).
Results: Our data show that our psychiatric day treatment unit cohort (n=73) had a higher proportion of vitamin D deficiency
(52%) than the general population (40%), although due to the limited sample size this was not significant (p=0.22, Chi-squared test).
The percentage of patients who were magnesium deficient was 78.6% (n=22/28). However, the F60 subgroup of patients with
personality disorders showed a high prevalence of vit D deficiency (p=0.07), highlighting a trend towards significance despite the
limited size of this subgroup.
Conclusions: We carried out a single-site audit of serum vitamin D and magnesium levels in a psychiatric day unit population in
order to assess the extent of vitamin deficiency in such patients. These data indicate that that the proportion of patients with vitamin
D deficiency is higher than in the general population. Further larger analysis is needed to establish the statistical significance of
these data and whether treatment with vitamin D supplementation improves outcomes
Experimental observation of topological Fermi arcs in type-II Weyl semimetal MoTe2
Weyl semimetal is a new quantum state of matter [1-12] hosting the condensed
matter physics counterpart of relativisticWeyl fermion [13] originally
introduced in high energy physics. The Weyl semimetal realized in the TaAs
class features multiple Fermi arcs arising from topological surface states [10,
11, 14-16] and exhibits novel quantum phenomena, e.g., chiral anomaly induced
negative mag-netoresistance [17-19] and possibly emergent supersymmetry [20].
Recently it was proposed theoretically that a new type (type-II) of Weyl
fermion [21], which does not have counterpart in high energy physics due to the
breaking of Lorentz invariance, can emerge as topologically-protected touching
between electron and hole pockets. Here, we report direct spectroscopic
evidence of topological Fermi arcs in the predicted type-II Weyl semimetal
MoTe2 [22-24]. The topological surface states are confirmed by directly
observing the surface states using bulk-and surface-sensitive angle-resolved
photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), and the quasi-particle interference (QPI)
pattern between the two putative Fermi arcs in scanning tunneling microscopy
(STM). Our work establishes MoTe2 as the first experimental realization of
type-II Weyl semimetal, and opens up new opportunities for probing novel
phenomena such as exotic magneto-transport [21] in type-II Weyl semimetals.Comment: submitted on 01/29/2016. Nature Physics, in press. Spectroscopic
evidence of the Fermi arcs from two complementary surface sensitive probes -
ARPES and STS. A comparison of the calculated band structure for T_d and 1T'
phase to identify the topological Fermi arcs in the T_d phase is also
included in the supplementary informatio
The discovery of potent, selective, and reversible inhibitors of the house dust mite peptidase allergen Der p 1: an innovative approach to the treatment of allergic asthma.
Blocking the bioactivity of allergens is conceptually attractive as a small-molecule therapy for allergic diseases but has not been attempted previously. Group 1 allergens of house dust mites (HDM) are meaningful targets in this quest because they are globally prevalent and clinically important triggers of allergic asthma. Group 1 HDM allergens are cysteine peptidases whose proteolytic activity triggers essential steps in the allergy cascade. Using the HDM allergen Der p 1 as an archetype for structure-based drug discovery, we have identified a series of novel, reversible inhibitors. Potency and selectivity were manipulated by optimizing drug interactions with enzyme binding pockets, while variation of terminal groups conferred the physicochemical and pharmacokinetic attributes required for inhaled delivery. Studies in animals challenged with the gamut of HDM allergens showed an attenuation of allergic responses by targeting just a single component, namely, Der p 1. Our findings suggest that these inhibitors may be used as novel therapies for allergic asthma
Biphasic and Dosage-Dependent Regulation of Osteoclastogenesis by ÎČ-Catenin
Wnt/ÎČ-catenin signaling is a critical regulator of skeletal physiology. However, previous studies have mainly focused on its roles in osteoblasts, while its specific function in osteoclasts is unknown. This is a clinically important question because neutralizing antibodies against Wnt antagonists are promising new drugs for bone diseases. Here, we show that in osteoclastogenesis, ÎČ-catenin is induced during the macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF)-mediated quiescence-to-proliferation switch but suppressed during the RANKL-mediated proliferation-to-differentiation switch. Genetically, ÎČ-catenin deletion blocks osteoclast precursor proliferation, while ÎČ-catenin constitutive activation sustains proliferation but prevents osteoclast differentiation, both causing osteopetrosis. In contrast, ÎČ-catenin heterozygosity enhances osteoclast differentiation, causing osteoporosis. Biochemically, Wnt activation attenuates whereas Wnt inhibition stimulates osteoclastogenesis. Mechanistically, ÎČ-catenin activation increases GATA2/Evi1 expression but abolishes RANKL-induced c-Jun phosphorylation. Therefore, ÎČ-catenin exerts a pivotal biphasic and dosage-dependent regulation of osteoclastogenesis. Importantly, these findings suggest that Wnt activation is a more effective treatment for skeletal fragility than previously recognized that confers dual anabolic and anti-catabolic benefits
TMEM27 Suppresses Tumor Development by Promoting Ret Ubiquitination, Positioning, and Degradation
The TMEM127 gene encodes a transmembrane protein of poorly known function that is mutated in pheochromocytomas, neural crest-derived tumors of adrenomedullary cells. Here, we report that, at single-nucleus resolution, TMEM127-mutant tumors share precursor cells and transcription regulatory elements with pheochromocytomas carrying mutations of the tyrosine kinase receptor RET. Additionally, TMEM127-mutant pheochromocytomas, human cells, and mouse knockout models of TMEM127 accumulate RET and increase its signaling. TMEM127 contributes to RET cellular positioning, trafficking, and lysosome-mediated degradation. Mechanistically, TMEM127 binds to RET and recruits the NEDD4 E3 ubiquitin ligase for RET ubiquitination and degradation via TMEM127 C-terminal PxxY motifs. Lastly, increased cell proliferation and tumor burden after TMEM127 loss can be reversed by selective RET inhibitors in vitro and in vivo. Our results define TMEM127 as a component of the ubiquitin system and identify aberrant RET stabilization as a likely mechanism through which TMEM127 loss-of-function mutations cause pheochromocytoma
Rational Addiction with Optimal Inventories: Theory and Evidence from Cigarette Purchases in Japan
Status of Muon Collider Research and Development and Future Plans
The status of the research on muon colliders is discussed and plans are
outlined for future theoretical and experimental studies. Besides continued
work on the parameters of a 3-4 and 0.5 TeV center-of-mass (CoM) energy
collider, many studies are now concentrating on a machine near 0.1 TeV (CoM)
that could be a factory for the s-channel production of Higgs particles. We
discuss the research on the various components in such muon colliders, starting
from the proton accelerator needed to generate pions from a heavy-Z target and
proceeding through the phase rotation and decay ()
channel, muon cooling, acceleration, storage in a collider ring and the
collider detector. We also present theoretical and experimental R & D plans for
the next several years that should lead to a better understanding of the design
and feasibility issues for all of the components. This report is an update of
the progress on the R & D since the Feasibility Study of Muon Colliders
presented at the Snowmass'96 Workshop [R. B. Palmer, A. Sessler and A.
Tollestrup, Proceedings of the 1996 DPF/DPB Summer Study on High-Energy Physics
(Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Menlo Park, CA, 1997)].Comment: 95 pages, 75 figures. Submitted to Physical Review Special Topics,
Accelerators and Beam
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