Inhomogeneous Structures in Holographic Superfluids: II. Vortices

We study vortex solutions in a holographic model of Herzog, Hartnoll, and Horowitz, with a vanishing external magnetic field on the boundary, as is appropriate for vortices in a superfluid. We study relevant length scales related to the vortices and how the charge density inside the core of the vortex behaves as a function of temperature or chemical potential. We extract the critical superfluid velocity from the vortex solutions, study how it behaves as a function of the temperature, and compare it to earlier studies and to the Landau criterion. We also comment on the possibility of a Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless vortex confinement-deconfinement transition.Comment: 32 pages, 10 figures, typos corrected, references adde

D-branes in a Big Bang/Big Crunch Universe: Nappi-Witten Gauged WZW Model

We study D-branes in the Nappi-Witten model, which is a gauged WZW model based on (SL(2,R) x SU(2)) / (U(1) x U(1)). The model describes a four dimensional space-time consisting of cosmological regions with big bang/big crunch singularities and static regions with closed time-like curves. The aim of this paper is to investigate by D-brane probes whether there are pathologies associated with the cosmological singularities and the closed time-like curves. We first classify D-branes in a group theoretical way, and then examine DBI actions for effective theories on the D-branes. In particular, we show that D-brane metric from the DBI action does not include singularities, and wave functions on the D-branes are well behaved even in the presence of closed time-like curves.Comment: 50 pages, 2 figures, minor change

On the problem of the justification of river rights

This article aims to work out the social conditions that determine whether the communication of river rights finds success in society. Employing the context of hydropower development in the Mekong region, the article finds that an essentialist strategy which claims that river rights have unlimited ‘moral’ validity regardless of any of the decision consequences is unlikely to succeed. Instead, it is proposed that moral conflicts over river rights may ultimately only be resolvable ‘unmorally’, that is, by procedural legitimacy – and this is best captured by employing a methodological framework composed of thematic, social and temporal dimension

Proliferating CD8+ T Cell Infiltrates Are Associated with Improved Survival in Glioblastoma

Background: tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are prognostic in many human cancers. However, the prognostic value of lymphocytes infiltrating glioblastoma (GBM), and roles in tumor control or progression are unclear. We hypothesized that B and T cell density, and markers of their activity, proliferation, differentiation, or function, would have favorable prognostic significance for patients with GBM. Methods: initial resection specimens from 77 patients with IDH1/2 wild type GBM who received standard-of-care treatment were evaluated with multiplex immunofluorescence histology (mIFH), for the distribution, density, differentiation, and proliferation of T cells and B cells, as well as for the presence of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS), and IFNγ expression. Immune infiltrates were evaluated for associations with overall survival (OS) by univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards modeling. Results: in univariate analyses, improved OS was associated with high densities of proliferating (Ki67(+)) CD8(+) cells (HR 0.36, p = 0.001) and CD20(+) cells (HR 0.51, p = 0.008), as well as CD8(+)Tbet(+) cells (HR 0.46, p = 0.004), and RORγt(+) cells (HR 0.56, p = 0.04). Conversely, IFNγ intensity was associated with diminished OS (HR 0.59, p = 0.036). In multivariable analyses, adjusting for clinical variables, including age, resection extent, Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS), and MGMT methylation status, improved OS was associated with high densities of proliferating (Ki67(+)) CD8(+) cells (HR 0.15, p < 0.001), and higher ratios of CD8(+) cells to CD4(+) cells (HR 0.31, p = 0.005). Diminished OS was associated with increases in patient age (HR 1.21, p = 0.005) and higher mean intensities of IFNγ (HR 2.13, p = 0.027). Conclusions: intratumoral densities of proliferating CD8 T cells and higher CD8/CD4 ratios are independent predictors of OS in patients with GBM. Paradoxically, higher mean intensities of IFNγ in the tumors were associated with shorter OS. These findings suggest that survival may be enhanced by increasing proliferation of tumor-reactive CD8(+) T cells and that approaches may be needed to promote CD8(+) T cell dominance in GBM, and to interfere with the immunoregulatory effects of IFNγ in the tumor microenvironment

Comparing administrative and survey data for ascertaining cases of irritable bowel syndrome: a population-based investigation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Administrative and survey data are two key data sources for population-based research about chronic disease. The objectives of this methodological paper are to: (1) estimate agreement between the two data sources for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and compare the results to those for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); (2) compare the frequency of IBS-related diagnoses in administrative data for survey respondents with and without self-reported IBS, and (3) estimate IBS prevalence from both sources.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This retrospective cohort study used linked administrative and health survey data for 5,134 adults from the province of Manitoba, Canada. Diagnoses in hospital and physician administrative data were investigated for respondents with self-reported IBS, IBD, and no bowel disorder. Agreement between survey and administrative data was estimated using the κ statistic. The χ²statistic tested the association between the frequency of IBS-related diagnoses and self-reported IBS. Crude, sex-specific, and age-specific IBS prevalence estimates were calculated from both sources.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Overall, 3.0% of the cohort had self-reported IBS, 0.8% had self-reported IBD, and 95.3% reported no bowel disorder. Agreement was poor to fair for IBS and substantially higher for IBD. The most frequent IBS-related diagnoses among the cohort were anxiety disorders (34.4%), symptoms of the abdomen and pelvis (26.9%), and diverticulitis of the intestine (10.6%). Crude IBS prevalence estimates from both sources were lower than those reported previously.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Poor agreement between administrative and survey data for IBS may account for differences in the results of health services and outcomes research using these sources. Further research is needed to identify the optimal method(s) to ascertain IBS cases in both data sources.</p

The influence of health literacy and depression on diabetes self-management : a cross-sectional study

Despite an increasing focus on health literacy in the clinical setting and in the literature, there is still ongoing debate about its influence on diabetes self-management. The aim of the study was to examine the relationships of sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological factors on health literacy and diabetes self-management. A cross-sectional survey was undertaken on 224 patients with type 2 diabetes at two diabetes centres in Sydney, Australia. Findings showed that people with low health literacy were more likely to (a) have lower educational attainment; (b) be migrants; and (c) have depressed mood. Unexpectedly, those who met HbA1c threshold of good glucose control were more likely to have low health literacy. Predictors of low diabetes self-management included (a) younger age group (AOR: 2.58, 95% CI: 1.24–4.64); (b) having postsecondary education (AOR: 2.30, 95% CI: 1.05–5.01); (c) low knowledge of diabetes management (AOR: 2.29, 95% CI: 1.25–4.20); and (d) having depressed mood (AOR: 2.30, 95%CI: 1.30–4.06). The finding that depressed mood predicted both low health literacy and low diabetes self-management stresses the importance of screening for depression. Increasing people’s understanding of diabetes self-management and supporting those with depression are crucial to enhance participation in diabetes self-management

"Some say no, some say yes" : receiving inconsistent or insufficient information from healthcare professionals and consequences for diabetes self-management : a qualitative study in patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Aims: To explore the information-seeking experiences of patients with Type 2 diabetes and how these influenced self-management behaviours. Methods: We interviewed 18 patients with Type 2 Diabetes attending outpatient diabetes centers in South Western Sydney. Data were analyzed thematically. Results: Patients described a number of challenges they faced when seeking information about diabetes self-management. One major challenge was receiving inconsistent and insufficient information from healthcare professionals, which consequently undermined patients’ ability to self-manage diabetes. This became a disincentive in carrying out self-management tasks, and led to confusion and mistrust regarding the veracity of information received. Participants also described finding reliable information, and difficulty understanding and accessing relevant information as challenges. Medical jargon and lack of comprehensive explanations exacerbated knowledge deficits compounded by the complex maze of internet resources that some patients accessed. In response to what they perceived as confusing or inconsistent information, some patients followed “their own way” of managing their diabetes. Conclusions: Inconsistent information not tailored to the needs of patients adversely affects self-management. Taking time to provide simple explanations and assisting patients in navigating reliable web resources is becoming a vital role of healthcare professionals to reduce knowledge gaps in patients with low health literacy. © 201