604 research outputs found
Comparison of the arrhythmogenicity of acepromazine, xylazine and their combination in pentobarbital-anesthetized rats
Preanesthetic medications are often used in combination with injectable anesthetics in a variety of laboratory animal species. Simultaneous administration of sedative drugs, such as alpha2-adrenergic agonists and phenothiazines, provides muscle relaxation and reduces induction doses of anesthetic agents. However, these drugs may have significant cardiovascular and arrythmogenic effects which may contribute to anesthetic morbidity and mortality (Dyson et al., 1998).Results of previous reports indicate that xylazine, an alpha2-adrenergic agonist, may sensitize the myocardium to epinephrine in dogs anesthetized with halothane (Muir et al., 1975; Tranquilli et al., 1986), isoflurane (Tranquilli et al., 1988) and ketamine (Wright et al., 1987); whereas, acepromazine, a phenothiazine tranquilizer, possessed a protective action against catecholamine-induced arrhythmia in dogs anesthetized with halothane (Muir et al., 1975; Dyson & Pettifer, 1997). The male rat has been used as an animal model to determine the arrhythmic doses of epinephrine during halothane and isoflurane anesthesia (Laster et al., 1990). Rats are commonly used for scientific research and may be anesthetized using injectable or inhalant anesthetic agents for a variety of surgical procedures (Flecknell, 2009); however, injectable anesthetics are commonly preferred in a laboratory setting.Pentobarbital, as a short acting barbiturate anesthetic, is used for short surgical procedures in rats. It is rapidly absorbed following intraperitoneal administration and provide anesthesia for up to 60 min in the rat (Flecknell, 2009).The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of clinical doses of acepromazine, xylazine and their combination on the occurrence of epinephrine induced arrhythmia in rats under pentobarbital anesthesia
Complications and carcinogenic effects of mustard gas - A systematic review and meta-analysis in Iran
Background: Catastrophic effects of mustard gas as a chemical warfare agent have always been a major problem for those exposed to this agent. In this meta-analysis it was tried to evaluate carcinogenesis, ocular, cutaneous and respiratory complications of mustard gas exposure among Iranians who had been exposed to this agent during the Iran-Iraq war. Materials and Methods: In this meta-analysis, the required data were collected using keywords "mustard gas", "sulfur mustard", "cancer", "neoplasm", "respiratory complications", "ocular complications", "lung disease", "chronic complication", "eye", "skin", "cutaneous complication", "carcinogenesis" and their combination with keywords "Iran", "Iranian", "prevalence", "mortality" and their Farsi equivalent terms from the databases of SID, Iranmedex, Magiran, Pubmed, Science Direct, Google Search engine, Gray Literature and Reference of References. To determine the prevalence of each complication and perform meta-analysis, CMA: 2 (Comprehensive Meta-Analysis) software with a randomized model was used. Results: Of the 542 articles found, 7 national articles, consistent with the aims of this study were selected. Metaanalysis of seven papers revealed that cancer risk, especially cancer of the respiratory system was elevated, so that the relative risk (RR) of cancer role of mustard gas was inconsistent from 2/1 to 4 in this survey. Also prevalence of delayed skin disorders due to sulfur mustard was 94.6, pulmonary complications 94.5 and ocular complications 89.9. The incidence of various cancers in victims exposed to mustard gas was 1.7 worldwide where the rate was 2.2 in Iranian victims of the Iraq-Iran war. Conclusions: Based on present study the prevalence of delayed mustard gas related cutaneous, pulmonary and ocular complications is above 90 and risk of carcinogenesis is higher in comparison to worldwide statistics. This may suggest need for long-term and persistent follow-up and rehabilitation procedures es for populations exposed to this agent
Quantum phase transition to unconventional multi-orbital superfluidity in optical lattices
Orbital physics plays a significant role for a vast number of important
phenomena in complex condensed matter systems such as high-T
superconductivity and unconventional magnetism. In contrast, phenomena in
superfluids -- especially in ultracold quantum gases -- are commonly well
described by the lowest orbital and a real order parameter. Here, we report on
the observation of a novel multi-orbital superfluid phase with a {\it complex}
order parameter in binary spin mixtures. In this unconventional superfluid, the
local phase angle of the complex order parameter is continuously twisted
between neighboring lattice sites. The nature of this twisted superfluid
quantum phase is an interaction-induced admixture of the p-orbital favored by
the graphene-like band structure of the hexagonal optical lattice used in the
experiment. We observe a second-order quantum phase transition between the
normal superfluid (NSF) and the twisted superfluid phase (TSF) which is
accompanied by a symmetry breaking in momentum space. The experimental results
are consistent with calculated phase diagrams and reveal fundamentally new
aspects of orbital superfluidity in quantum gas mixtures. Our studies might
bridge the gap between conventional superfluidity and complex phenomena of
orbital physics.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Creating, moving and merging Dirac points with a Fermi gas in a tunable honeycomb lattice
Dirac points lie at the heart of many fascinating phenomena in condensed
matter physics, from massless electrons in graphene to the emergence of
conducting edge states in topological insulators [1, 2]. At a Dirac point, two
energy bands intersect linearly and the particles behave as relativistic Dirac
fermions. In solids, the rigid structure of the material sets the mass and
velocity of the particles, as well as their interactions. A different, highly
flexible approach is to create model systems using fermionic atoms trapped in
the periodic potential of interfering laser beams, a method which so far has
only been applied to explore simple lattice structures [3, 4]. Here we report
on the creation of Dirac points with adjustable properties in a tunable
honeycomb optical lattice. Using momentum-resolved interband transitions, we
observe a minimum band gap inside the Brillouin zone at the position of the
Dirac points. We exploit the unique tunability of our lattice potential to
adjust the effective mass of the Dirac fermions by breaking inversion symmetry.
Moreover, changing the lattice anisotropy allows us to move the position of the
Dirac points inside the Brillouin zone. When increasing the anisotropy beyond a
critical limit, the two Dirac points merge and annihilate each other - a
situation which has recently attracted considerable theoretical interest [5-9],
but seems extremely challenging to observe in solids [10]. We map out this
topological transition in lattice parameter space and find excellent agreement
with ab initio calculations. Our results not only pave the way to model
materials where the topology of the band structure plays a crucial role, but
also provide an avenue to explore many-body phases resulting from the interplay
of complex lattice geometries with interactions [11, 12]
Topological orbital ladders
We unveil a topological phase of interacting fermions on a two-leg ladder of
unequal parity orbitals, derived from the experimentally realized double-well
lattices by dimension reduction. topological invariant originates simply
from the staggered phases of -orbital quantum tunneling, requiring none of
the previously known mechanisms such as spin-orbit coupling or artificial gauge
field. Another unique feature is that upon crossing over to two dimensions with
coupled ladders, the edge modes from each ladder form a parity-protected flat
band at zero energy, opening the route to strongly correlated states controlled
by interactions. Experimental signatures are found in density correlations and
phase transitions to trivial band and Mott insulators.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, Revised title, abstract, and the discussion on
Majorana numbe
Modest and severe maternal iron deficiency in pregnancy are associated with fetal anaemia and organ-specific hypoxia in rats
Prenatal iron-deficiency (ID) is known to alter fetal developmental trajectories, which predisposes the offspring to chronic disease in later life, although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we sought to determine whether varying degrees of maternal anaemia could induce organ-specific patterns of hypoxia in the fetuses. Pregnant female Sprague Dawley rats were fed iron-restricted or iron-replete diets to induce a state of moderate (M-ID) or severe ID (S-ID) alongside respective controls. Ultrasound biomicroscopy was performed on gestational day (GD)20 to assess uterine and umbilical artery blood flow patterns. On GD21, tissues were collected and assessed for hypoxia using pimonidazole staining. Compared to controls, maternal haemoglobin (Hb) in M- and S-ID were reduced 17% (Pâ<â0.01) and 48% (Pâ<â0.001), corresponding to 39% (Pâ<â0.001) and 65% (Pâ<â0.001) decreases in fetal Hb. Prenatal ID caused asymmetric fetal growth restriction, which was most pronounced in S-ID. In both severities of ID, umbilical artery resistive index was increased (Pâ<â0.01), while pulsatility index only increased in S-ID (Pâ<â0.05). In both M-and S-ID, fetal kidneys and livers showed evidence of hypoxia (Pâ<â0.01 vs. controls), whereas fetal brains and placentae remained normoxic. These findings indicate prenatal ID causes organ-specific fetal hypoxia, even in the absence of severe maternal anaemia.Andrew G. Woodman, Alison S. Care, Yael Mansour, Stephana J. Cherak, Sareh Panahi, Ferrante S. Gragasin, Stephane L. Bourqu
ER stress induced immunopathology involving complement in CADASIL: implications for therapeutics
\ua9 2023, The Author(s). Cerebral autosomal-dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is caused by NOTCH3 mutations. Typical CADASIL is characterised by subcortical ischemic strokes due to severe arteriopathy and fibrotic thickening of small arteries. Arteriolar vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are the key target in CADASIL, but the potential mechanisms involved in their degeneration are still unclear. Focusing on cerebral microvessels in the frontal and anterior temporal lobes and the basal ganglia, we used advanced proteomic and immunohistochemical methods to explore the extent of inflammatory and immune responses in CADASIL subjects compared to similar age normal and other disease controls. There was variable loss of VSMC in medial layers of arteries in white matter as well as the cortex, that could not be distinguished whether NOTCH3 mutations were in the epidermal growth factor (EGFr) domains 1â6 or EGFr7-34. Proteomics of isolated cerebral microvessels showed alterations in several proteins, many associated with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress including heat shock proteins. Cerebral vessels with sparsely populated VSMCs also attracted robust accrual of perivascular microglia/macrophages in order CD45+ > CD163+ > CD68+cells, with > 60% of vessel walls exhibiting intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) immunoreactivity. Functional VSMC cultures bearing the NOTCH3 Arg133Cys mutation showed increased gene expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 6 and ICAM-1 by 16- and 50-fold, respectively. We further found evidence for activation of the alternative pathway of complement. Immunolocalisation of complement Factor B, C3d and C5-9 terminal complex but not C1q was apparent in ~ 70% of cerebral vessels. Increased complement expression was corroborated in > 70% of cultured VSMCs bearing the Arg133Cys mutation independent of N3ECD immunoreactivity. Our observations suggest that ER stress and other cellular features associated with arteriolar VSMC damage instigate robust localized inflammatory and immune responses in CADASIL. Our study has important implications for immunomodulation approaches to counter the characteristic arteriopathy of CADASIL
Topological phase transitions in the non-Abelian honeycomb lattice
Ultracold Fermi gases trapped in honeycomb optical lattices provide an
intriguing scenario, where relativistic quantum electrodynamics can be tested.
Here, we generalize this system to non-Abelian quantum electrodynamics, where
massless Dirac fermions interact with effective non-Abelian gauge fields. We
show how in this setup a variety of topological phase transitions occur, which
arise due to massless fermion pair production events, as well as pair
annihilation events of two kinds: spontaneous and strongly-interacting induced.
Moreover, such phase transitions can be controlled and characterized in optical
lattice experiments.Comment: RevTex4 file, color figure
Prevalence and Predictors of Urinary Tract Infection and Severe Malaria Among Febrile Children Attending Makongoro Health Centre in Mwanza City, North-Western Tanzania.
In malaria endemic areas, fever has been used as an entry point for presumptive treatment of malaria. At present, the decrease in malaria transmission in Africa implies an increase in febrile illnesses related to other causes among underfives. Moreover, it is estimated that more than half of the children presenting with fever to public clinics in Africa do not have a malaria infection. Thus, for a better management of all febrile illnesses among under-fives, it becomes relevant to understand the underlying aetiology of the illness. The present study was conducted to determine the relative prevalence and predictors of P. falciparum malaria, urinary tract infections and bacteremia among under-fives presenting with a febrile illness at the Makongoro Primary Health Centre, North-Western Tanzania. From February to June 2011, a cross-sectional analytical survey was conducted among febrile children less than five years of age. Demographic and clinical data were collected using a standardized pre-tested questionnaire. Blood and urine culture was done, followed by the identification of isolates using in-house biochemical methods. Susceptibility patterns to commonly used antibiotics were investigated using the disc diffusion method. Giemsa stained thin and thick blood smears were examined for any malaria parasites stages. A total of 231 febrile under-fives were enrolled in the study. Of all the children, 20.3% (47/231, 95%CI, 15.10-25.48), 9.5% (22/231, 95%CI, 5.72-13.28) and 7.4% (17/231, 95%CI, 4.00-10.8) had urinary tract infections, P. falciparum malaria and bacteremia respectively. In general, 11.5% (10/87, 95%CI, 8.10-14.90) of the children had two infections and only one child had all three infections. Predictors of urinary tract infections (UTI) were dysuria (OR = 12.51, 95% CI, 4.28-36.57, P < 0.001) and body temperature (40-41 C) (OR = 12.54, 95% CI, 4.28-36.73, P < 0.001). Predictors of P. falciparum severe malaria were pallor (OR = 4.66 95%CI, 1.21-17.8, P = 0.025) and convulsion (OR = 102, 95% CI, 10-996, P = 0.001). Escherichia coli were the common gram negative isolates from urine (72.3%, 95% CI, 66.50-78.10) and blood (40%, 95%CI, and 33.70-46.30). Escherichia coli from urine were 100% resistant to ampicillin, 97% resistant to co-trimoxazole, 85% resistant to augmentin and 32.4% resistant to gentamicin; and they were 100%, 91.2% and 73.5% sensitive to meropenem, ciprofloxacin and ceftriaxone respectively. Urinary tract infection caused by multi drug resistant Escherichia coli was the common cause of febrile illness in our setting. Improvement of malaria diagnosis and its differential diagnosis from other causes of febrile illnesses may provide effective management of febrile illnesses among children in Tanzania
Topological Quantum Phase Transition in Synthetic Non-Abelian Gauge Potential
The method of synthetic gauge potentials opens up a new avenue for our
understanding and discovering novel quantum states of matter. We investigate
the topological quantum phase transition of Fermi gases trapped in a honeycomb
lattice in the presence of a synthetic non- Abelian gauge potential. We develop
a systematic fermionic effective field theory to describe a topological quantum
phase transition tuned by the non-Abelian gauge potential and ex- plore its
various important experimental consequences. Numerical calculations on lattice
scales are performed to compare with the results achieved by the fermionic
effective field theory. Several possible experimental detection methods of
topological quantum phase tran- sition are proposed. In contrast to condensed
matter experiments where only gauge invariant quantities can be measured, both
gauge invariant and non-gauge invariant quantities can be measured by
experimentally generating various non-Abelian gauges corresponding to the same
set of Wilson loops
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