Gamow-Teller GT+ distributions in nuclei with mass A=90-97

We investigate the Gamow-Teller strength distributions in the electron-capture direction in nuclei having mass A=90-97, assuming a 88Sr core and using a realistic interaction that reasonably reproduces nuclear spectroscopy for a wide range of nuclei in the region as well as experimental data on Gamow-Teller strength distributions. We discuss the systematics of the distributions and their centroids. We also predict the strength distributions for several nuclei involving stable isotopes that should be experimentally accessible for one-particle exchange reactions in the near future.Comment: 9 pages, 10 figures (from 17 eps files), to be submitted to Phys.Rev.C; corrected typos, minor language change

The effectiveness of the role of advanced nurse practitioners compared to physician-led or usual care : a systematic review

Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of the role of advanced nurse practitioners compared to physicians-led/ usual care (care managed by medical doctors or non-advanced nurse practitioners) Background: Advanced nurse practitioners contribute to the improvement of quality patient care and have substantial potential to optimise the health of people globally. Since the formal recognition of advanced nurse practitioners by the International Council of Nurses, among others, the role has been adopted across most departments and clinical specialties, particularly in high-income countries. Design: Systematic review of primary research evidence Data Source: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane registry, Cochrane trials, and Cochrane EPOC (PDQ Evidence) were searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of patient care and health resource utilisation outcomes associated with advanced nurse practitioners. Review Methods: The review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement. The chosen articles were restricted to full-text English language trials published in the last 20 years, incorporating comparators of usual care. Search terms were limited to variations of advanced nurse practitioner role and practice. The eligible studies were bias risk assessed and quality assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). Clinical and service outcomes were analysed using narrative synthesis as the marked heterogeneity between studies precluded meta-analysis. Results: Thirteen RCTs were reviewed. All of them were conducted across high-income countries within primary care and hospital settings involving paediatric and adult patients. Five trials were assessed as high quality, and eight were of low to moderate quality. Positive effects were demonstrated for the impact of advanced nurse practitioners on usual care; for indigestion, mean difference [MD] 2.3: 95% CI 1.4, 3.1]), perceptions of health status [ (MD –140.6; 95% CI –184.8, –96.5)], satisfaction levels [ (MD ranged from –8.79; 95% CI –13.59, –3.98 to 0.61; 95% CI –4.84, 6.05)], physical function (1.58 [SD 0.76] v. 1.81 [SD 0.90]), and blood pressure control (systolic [133 [SD 21] v. 135 [SD 19] mmHg p = 0.04] and diastolic [77 [SD 10] v. 80 [SD 11] mmHg p = 0.007]) were looked at. Positive effects related to service provision included improved patient satisfaction and reductions in waiting times and costs, which significantly favored advanced nurse practitioners (all p < 0.05). Conclusion: The evidence of this review supports the positive impact of advanced nurse practitioners on clinical and service-related outcomes: patient satisfaction, waiting times, control of chronic disease, and cost-effectiveness especially when directly compared to medical practitioner-led care and usual care practices - in primary, secondary and specialist care settings involving both adult and pediatric populations. © 202

Evaluation of the prescribing practice of guideline-directed medical therapy among ambulatory chronic heart failure patients

Background: Studies have demonstrated that heart failure (HF) patients who receive direct pharmacist input as part of multidisciplinary care have better clinical outcomes. This study evaluated/compared the difference in prescribing practices of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) for chronic HF patients between two multidisciplinary clinics—with and without the direct involvement of a pharmacist. Methods: A retrospective audit of chronic HF patients, presenting to two multidisciplinary outpatient clinics between March 2005 and January 2017, was performed; a Multidisciplinary Ambulatory Consulting Service (MACS) with an integrated pharmacist model of care and a General Cardiology Heart Failure Service (GCHFS) clinic, without the active involvement of a pharmacist. Results: MACS clinic patients were significantly older (80 vs. 73 years, p <.001), more likely to be female (p <.001), and had significantly higher systolic (123 vs. 112 mmHg, p <.001) and diastolic (67 vs. 60 mmHg, p <.05) blood pressures compared to the GCHF clinic patients. Moreover, the MACS clinic patients showed more polypharmacy and higher prevalence of multiple comorbidities. Both clinics had similar prescribing rates of GDMT and achieved maximal tolerated doses of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) in HFrEF. However, HFpEF patients in the MACS clinic were significantly more likely to be prescribed ACEIs/ARBs (70.5% vs. 56.2%, p = 0.0314) than the GCHFS patients. Patients with both HFrEF and HFpEF (MACS clinic) were significantly less likely to be prescribe

Generalized seniority from random Hamiltonians

We investigate the generic pairing properties of shell-model many-body Hamiltonians drawn from ensembles of random two-body matrix elements. Many features of pairing that are commonly attributed to the interaction are in fact seen in a large part of the ensemble space. Not only do the spectra show evidence of pairing with favored J=0 ground states and an energy gap, but the relationship between ground state wave functions of neighboring nuclei show signatures of pairing as well. Matrix elements of pair creation/annihilation operators between ground states tend to be strongly enhanced. Furthermore, the same or similar pair operators connect several ground states along an isotopic chain. This algebraic structure is reminiscent of the generalized seniority model. Thus pairing may be encoded to a certain extent in the Fock space connectivity of the interacting shell model even without specific features of the interaction required.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure

Implications of albedo changes following afforestation on the benefits of forests as carbon sinks

Increased carbon storage with afforestation leads to a decrease in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration and thus decreases radiative forcing and cools the Earth. However, afforestation also changes the reflective properties of the surface vegetation from more reflective pasture to relatively less reflective forest cover. This increase in radiation absorption by the forest constitutes an increase in radiative forcing, with a warming effect. The net effect of decreased albedo and carbon storage on radiative forcing depends on the relative magnitude of these two opposing processes. &lt;br&gt;&lt;/br&gt; We used data from an intensively studied site in New Zealand's Central North Island that has long-term, ground-based measurements of albedo over the full short-wave spectrum from a developing &lt;i&gt;Pinus radiata&lt;/i&gt; forest. Data from this site were supplemented with satellite-derived albedo estimates from New Zealand pastures. The albedo of a well-established forest was measured as 13 % and pasture albedo as 20 %. We used these data to calculate the direct radiative forcing effect of changing albedo as the forest grew. &lt;br&gt;&lt;/br&gt; We calculated the radiative forcing resulting from the removal of carbon from the atmosphere as a decrease in radiative forcing of −104 GJ tC&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt; yr&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt;. We also showed that the observed change in albedo constituted a direct radiative forcing of 2759 GJ ha&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt; yr&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt;. Thus, following afforestation, 26.5 tC ha&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt; needs to be stored in a growing forest to balance the increase in radiative forcing resulting from the observed albedo change. Measurements of tree biomass and albedo were used to estimate the net change in radiative forcing as the newly planted forest grew. Albedo and carbon-storage effects were of similar magnitude for the first four to five years after tree planting, but as the stand grew older, the carbon storage effect increasingly dominated. Averaged over the whole length of the rotation, the changes in albedo negated the benefits from increased carbon storage by 17–24 %

Lipid Droplets: Packing Hydrophobic Molecules Within the Aqueous Cytoplasm

Article discusses how lipid droplets, also known as oil bodies or lipid bodies, are plant organelles that compartmentalize neutral lipids as a hydrophobic matrix covered by proteins embedded in a phospholipid monolayer. The authors review the growing body of knowledge about lipid droplets in plant cells, describe the evolutionary similarity and divergence in their associated subcellular machinery, and point to gaps that deserve future attention

Predictors of Life Satisfaction: A Nationwide Investigation in Iran

Iran is a developing country with low levels of economic development and globalization and is ruled by a theocratic government. To address the lack of national research on well-being in Iran, this retrospective observational study aims to examine life satisfaction and its main determinants among Iranian adults. Using World Gallup Poll data collected between 2006 and 2017, we examined life satisfaction as a cognitive aspect of subjective well-being in relation to various factors. Our results show that income is the strongest predictor of life satisfaction, followed by standard of living, gender, social support, age, negative affect, and education. In developing countries such as Iran, which face significant economic, political, and social challenges, individuals prioritize the satisfaction of basic needs by emphasizing factors such as the socioeconomic status. In contrast, developed countries with established welfare systems may emphasize other values such as social connections and healthy lifestyle behaviors as key factors in life satisfaction. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the determinants of life satisfaction in Iran and provides insights for future research and policy making

Autism Spectrum Social Stories In Schools Trial (ASSSIST):study protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial analysing clinical and cost-effectiveness of Social Stories in mainstream schools

INTRODUCTION: Current evidence suggests that Social Stories can be effective in tackling problem behaviours exhibited by children with autism spectrum disorder. Exploring the meaning of behaviour from a child's perspective allows stories to provide social information that is tailored to their needs. Case reports in children with autism have suggested that these stories can lead to a number of benefits including improvements in social interactions and choice making in educational settings. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The feasibility of clinical and cost-effectiveness of a Social Stories toolkit will be assessed using a randomised control framework. Participants (n=50) will be randomised to either the Social Stories intervention or a comparator group where they will be read standard stories for an equivalent amount of time. Statistics will be calculated for recruitment rates, follow-up rates and attrition. Economic analysis will determine appropriate measures of generic health and resource use categories for cost-effectiveness analysis. Qualitative analysis will ascertain information on perceptions about the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: National Health Service Ethics Approval (NHS; ref 11/YH/0340) for the trial protocol has been obtained along with NHS Research and Development permission from Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. All adverse events will be closely monitored, documented and reported to the study Data Monitoring Ethics Committee. At least one article in a peer reviewed journal will be published and research findings presented at relevant conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN96286707

Reductive Stress Causes Pathological Cardiac Remodeling and Diastolic Dysfunction.

Aims: Redox homeostasis is tightly controlled and regulates key cellular signaling pathways. The cells antioxidant response provides a natural defense against oxidative stress, but excessive antioxidant generation leads to reductive stress (RS). This study elucidated how chronic RS, caused by constitutive activation of nuclear erythroid related factor-2 (caNrf2)-dependent antioxidant system, drives pathological myocardial remodeling. Results: Upregulation of antioxidant transcripts and proteins in caNrf2-TG hearts (TGL and TGH; transgenic-low and -high) dose dependently increased glutathione (GSH) redox potential and resulted in RS, which over time caused pathological cardiac remodeling identified as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) with abnormally increased ejection fraction and diastolic dysfunction in TGH mice at 6 months of age. While the TGH mice exhibited 60% mortality at 18 months of age, the rate of survival in TGL was comparable with nontransgenic (NTG) littermates. Moreover, TGH mice had severe cardiac remodeling at ∼6 months of age, while TGL mice did not develop comparable phenotypes until 15 months, suggesting that even moderate RS may lead to irreversible damages of the heart over time. Pharmacologically blocking GSH biosynthesis using BSO (l-buthionine-SR-sulfoximine) at an early age (∼1.5 months) prevented RS and rescued the TGH mice from pathological cardiac remodeling. Here we demonstrate that chronic RS causes pathological cardiomyopathy with diastolic dysfunction in mice due to sustained activation of antioxidant signaling. Innovation and Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that chronic RS is intolerable and adequate to induce heart failure (HF). Antioxidant-based therapeutic approaches for human HF should consider a thorough evaluation of redox state before the treatment