196 research outputs found
Diabetic cases controlled with low carbohydrate diet (LCD) and GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA)
Recent treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has included glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA), indicating clinical efficacy for better glucose variability. Subjects were seven patients with T2DM associated with the obese tendency. Their average age was 63.8 ± 21.7 years old (5 males, 2 females) who received a new administration of GLP-1 RA (Mean ± standard deviation). For GLP-1 RA, dulaglutide (TRULICITY R, single-dose pen) was administered by subcutaneous injection 0.75 mg once a week. Basal data at 0 month revealed that body weight 76.0 ± 11.6 kg, body mass index (BMI) 29.2 ± 11.6, blood C-peptide immunoreactivity (CPR) 2.68 ± 0.49 ng/mL, respectively. After the intervention of dulaglutide, decreased value of BMI for 3 and 6-9 months was 0.78 ± 0.45 and 1.16 ± 0.85, and HbA1c for 3 and 6-9 months was 1.60 ± 1.52% and 2.01 ± 1.44%, respectively. Though these cases have various complications besides T2DM, they showed clinical effects of weight reduction and lowering blood glucose. Diabetic treatment for current cases would suggest that GLP-1 RA would be effective in various situations such as a super-aged patient, medical practice in the remote area, family care and visiting nursing
Localization of solitons: linear response of the mean-field ground state to weak external potentials
Two aspects of bright matter-wave solitons in weak external potentials are
discussed. First, we briefly review recent results on the Anderson localization
of an entire soliton in disordered potentials [Sacha et al. PRL 103, 210402
(2009)], as a paradigmatic showcase of genuine quantum dynamics beyond simple
perturbation theory. Second, we calculate the linear response of the mean-field
soliton shape to a weak, but otherwise arbitrary external potential, with a
detailed application to lattice potentials.Comment: Selected paper presented at the 2010 Spring Meeting of the Quantum
Optics and Photonics Section of the German Physical Society. V2: minor
changes, published versio
Topical latanoprost causes posterior movement of lens in a patient with exfoliation syndrome and subluxated lens: a case report
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>To report the effect of topical latanoprost on the position of a subluxated lens.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>After 0.005% latanoprost was administered topically to a patient with ocular hypertension due to a pseudoexfoliation syndrome and a subluxated lens, the position of the lens was examined by slit-lamp biomicroscopy, and the ciliary body thickness by ultrasound biomicroscopy. The lens had moved posteriorly, and the thickness of the ciliary body had decreased after the latanoprost.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We suggest that the decrease in the thickness of the ciliary body resulted in an increase in the tension of the zonule of Zinn fibers, thus pulling the subluxated lens posteriorly.</p
Split-merge cycle, fragmented collapse, and vortex disintegration in rotating Bose-Einstein condensates with attractive interactions
The dynamical instabilities and ensuing dynamics of singly- and
doubly-quantized vortex states of Bose-Einstein condensates with attractive
interactions are investigated using full 3D numerical simulations of the
Gross-Pitaevskii equation. With increasing the strength of attractive
interactions, a series of dynamical instabilities such as quadrupole, dipole,
octupole, and monopole instabilities emerge. The most prominent instability
depends on the strength of interactions, the geometry of the trapping
potential, and deviations from the axisymmetry due to external perturbations.
Singly-quantized vortices split into two clusters and subsequently undergo
split-merge cycles in a pancake-shaped trap, whereas the split fragments
immediately collapse in a spherical trap. Doubly-quantized vortices are always
unstable to disintegration of the vortex core. If we suddenly change the
strength of interaction to within a certain range, the vortex splits into three
clusters, and one of the clusters collapses after a few split-merge cycles. The
vortex split can be observed using a current experimental setup of the MIT
group.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figure
OAZ-t/OAZ3 Is Essential for Rigid Connection of Sperm Tails to Heads in Mouse
Polyamines are known to play important roles in the proliferation and differentiation of many types of cells. Although considerable amounts of polyamines are synthesized and stored in the testes, their roles remain unknown. Ornithine decarboxylase antizymes (OAZs) control the intracellular concentration of polyamines in a feedback manner. OAZ1 and OAZ2 are expressed ubiquitously, whereas OAZ-t/OAZ3 is expressed specifically in germline cells during spermiogenesis. OAZ-t reportedly binds to ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and inactivates ODC activity. In a prior study, polyamines were capable of inducing a frameshift at the frameshift sequence of OAZ-t mRNA, resulting in the translation of OAZ-t. To investigate the physiological role of OAZ-t, we generated OAZ-t–disrupted mutant mice. Homozygous OAZ-t mutant males were infertile, although the polyamine concentrations of epididymides and testes were normal in these mice, and females were fertile. Sperm were successfully recovered from the epididymides of the mutant mice, but the heads and tails of the sperm cells were easily separated in culture medium during incubation. Results indicated that OAZ-t is essential for the formation of a rigid junction between the head and tail during spermatogenesis. The detached tails and heads were alive, and most of the headless tails showed straight forward movement. Although the tailless sperm failed to acrosome-react, the heads were capable of fertilizing eggs via intracytoplasmic sperm injection. OAZ-t likely plays a key role in haploid germ cell differentiation via the local concentration of polyamines
Macroscopic superposition states of ultracold bosons in a double-well potential
We present a thorough description of the physical regimes for ultracold
bosons in double wells, with special attention paid to macroscopic
superpositions (MSs). We use a generalization of the Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick
Hamiltonian of up to eight single particle modes to study these MSs, solving
the Hamiltonian with a combination of numerical exact diagonalization and
high-order perturbation theory. The MS is between left and right potential
wells; the extreme case with all atoms simultaneously located in both wells and
in only two modes is the famous NOON state, but our approach encompasses much
more general MSs. Use of more single particle modes brings dimensionality into
the problem, allows us to set hard limits on the use of the original two-mode
LMG model commonly treated in the literature, and also introduces a new mixed
Josephson-Fock regime. Higher modes introduce angular degrees of freedom and MS
states with different angular properties.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures, 1 table. Mini-review prepared for the special
issue of Frontiers of Physics "Recent Progresses on Quantum Dynamics of
Ultracold Atoms and Future Quantum Technologies", edited by Profs. Lee, Ueda,
and Drummon
Theory of Multidimensional Solitons
We review a number of topics germane to higher-dimensional solitons in
Bose-Einstein condensates. For dark solitons, we discuss dark band and planar
solitons; ring dark solitons and spherical shell solitons; solitary waves in
restricted geometries; vortex rings and rarefaction pulses; and multi-component
Bose-Einstein condensates. For bright solitons, we discuss instability,
stability, and metastability; bright soliton engineering, including pulsed atom
lasers; solitons in a thermal bath; soliton-soliton interactions; and bright
ring solitons and quantum vortices. A thorough reference list is included.Comment: review paper, to appear as Chapter 5a in "Emergent Nonlinear
Phenomena in Bose-Einstein Condensates: Theory and Experiment," edited by P.
G. Kevrekidis, D. J. Frantzeskakis, and R. Carretero-Gonzalez
(Springer-Verlag
Unprecedented High-Modulus High-Strength Tapes and Films of Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Polyethylene via Solvent-Free Route
This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in
Macromolocules, copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher.
To access the final edited and published work see: http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ma200667
Bloodstream and endovascular infections due to Abiotrophia defectiva and Granulicatella species
BACKGROUND: Abiotrophia and Granulicatella species, previously referred to as nutritionally variant streptococci (NVS), are significant causative agents of endocarditis and bacteraemia. In this study, we reviewed the clinical manifestations of infections due to A. defectiva and Granulicatella species that occurred at our institution between 1998 and 2004. METHODS: The analysis included all strains of NVS that were isolated from blood cultures or vascular graft specimens. All strains were identified by 16S rRNA sequence analysis. Patients' medical charts were reviewed for each case of infection. RESULTS: Eleven strains of NVS were isolated during the 6-year period. Identification of the strains by 16S rRNA showed 2 genogroups: Abiotrophia defectiva (3) and Granulicatella adiacens (6) or "para-adiacens" (2). The three A. defectiva strains were isolated from immunocompetent patients with endovascular infections, whereas 7 of 8 Granulicatella spp. strains were isolated from immunosuppressed patients, mainly febrile neutropenic patients. We report the first case of "G. para-adiacens" bacteraemia in the setting of febrile neutropenia. CONCLUSION: We propose that Granulicatella spp. be considered as a possible agent of bacteraemia in neutropenic patients
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