Synergistic role of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles and pulsed electromagnetic field therapy to prevent bone loss in rats following exposure to simulated microgravity

The purpose of the present study was to use capacitive coupling of pulsed electromagnetic field (CC-PEMF) and hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HAp) as a countermeasure to prevent osteoporosis induced by simulated microgravity. We used the hind-limb suspension (HLS) rat model to simulate microgravity-induced bone losses for 45 days. In order to compare the resulting changes, mineralogical (bone mineral density [BMD], calcium [Ca], and phosphorus [P]), biochemical (osteocalcin, alkaline phosphatase [ALP], and type I collagen), and histological (scanning electron microscopy) parameters were adopted. As a countermeasure to the above, the effect of PEMF and HAp application were examined. Three-month-old female Wistar rats were randomly divided into control (n = 8), HLS (n = 8), HLS with PEMF (n = 8), HLS with HAp nanoparticles (n = 8), and HLS with HAp and PEMF (n = 8). We observed: 1) significant decrease (p < 0.01) in BMD, Ca, P, type I collagen, and ALP activity in femur and tibia in hind-limb bone and serum osteocalcin in HLS rats as compared with the ground control. 2) Nonsignificant increase in BMD (p < 0.1), Ca (p < 0.1), P (p < 0.5), type I collagen (p < 0.1), and ALP activity (p < 0.5) in femur and tibia in hind-limb bone and serum osteocalcin (p < 0.5) in HLS + PEMF rats compared with HLS rats. 3) Significant increase in BMD (p < 0.02), Ca (p < 0.05), P (p < 0.05), type I collagen (p < 0.02), and ALP activity (p > 0.02) in femur and tibia in hind-limb bone with a nonsignificant increase in serum osteocalcin (p > 0.1) in HLS + HAp rats compared to HLS rats. 4) Significant increase in BMD (p > 0.01). Ca (p > 0.01). P (p > 0.01). type I collagen (p > 0.01). and ALP activity (p > 0.01) in femur and tibia in hind-limb bone and serum osteocalcin (p > 0.02) were also observed. Results suggest that a combination of low level PEMF and Hap nanoparticles has potential to control bone loss induced by simulated microgravity

Weight loss in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease patients in an ambulatory care setting is largely unsuccessful but correlates with frequency of clinic visits

Background and Aims: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NALFD) is a leading cause of liver disease. Weight loss improves clinical features of NAFLD; however, maintenance of weight loss outside of investigational protocols is poor. The goals of this study were to characterize patterns and clinical predictors of long-term weight loss in ambulatory patients with NAFLD

Water Use Efficiency and Evapotranspiration of Hybrid Napier (\u3cem\u3ePennisetum purpureum\u3c/em\u3e x \u3cem\u3eP. americanum\u3c/em\u3e) under Semi-Arid Indian Region

Napier bajra hybrid (Pennisetum glaucum x P. purpureum) is a highly valued for its abundant quality forage, round the year fodder availability, regenerative ability and suitability to silage and hay making. It yields upto 110-120 t/ha fresh fodder as sole crop. Though, it requires moist regimes for optimum growth, but it can withstand drought for a short spell and regenerate with rains. It contains 8.7-10.2 % crude protein, 28-30.5% crude fibre and 10-11.5 % ash on dry matter basis (Agrawal et al., 2001). The hybrid napier has wider adaptability and is grown all over the country, particularly in milk shed area of Gujrat, Maharashtra and north and central India. Estimation of evapotranspiration (ET) as a function of crop stages is important in determining crop water use for efficient irrigation management. Evapotranspiration loss and the rate of evapotranspiration at different cutting stages indicate the amount of water required at different growth periods for its satisfactory growth and optimum production. Few results in measurement of evapotranspiration and water use efficiency of fodder crops are available (Alvarez and Quiroga, 1992; Pradeep Behari et al., 2003). The water stress in the plant can be quantified by actual evapotranspiration rate, as the level of evapotranspiration is related to the evaporative demand of the air (Doorenbos and Kassam, 1979). However, the information on these aspects for hybrid napier is lacking. In present study we estimate, the water use efficiency and evapotranspiration of the hybrid napier in central India

Risk Factors for Frequent Readmissions and Barriers to Transplantation in Patients with Cirrhosis

Background: Hospital readmission rate is receiving increasing regulatory scrutiny. Patients with cirrhosis have high hospital readmissions rates but the relationship between frequent readmissions and barriers to transplantation remains unexplored. The goal of this study was to determine risk factors for frequent readmissions among patients with cirrhosis and identify barriers to transplantation in this population. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 587 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of cirrhosis admitted to a large tertiary care center between May 1, 2008 and May 1, 2009. Demographics, clinical factors, and outcomes were recorded. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify risk factors for high readmission rates. Transplant-related factors were assessed for patients in the high readmission group. Results: The 587 patients included in the study had 1557 admissions during the study period. A subset of 87 (15%) patients with 5 or more admissions accounted for 672 (43%) admissions. The factors associated with frequent admissions were non-white race (OR = 2.45, p = 0.01), diabetes (OR = 2.04, p = 0.01), higher Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score (OR = 35.10, p30) and younger age (OR = 0.98, p = 0.02). Among the 87 patients with ≥5 admissions, only 14 (16%) underwent liver transplantation during the study period. Substance abuse, medical co-morbidities, and low (<15) MELD scores were barriers to transplantation in this group. Conclusions: A small group of patients with cirrhosis account for a disproportionately high number of hospital admissions. Interventions targeting this high-risk group may decrease frequent hospital readmissions and increase access to transplantation. © 2013 Ganesh et al

Operational experience, improvements, and performance of the CDF Run II silicon vertex detector

The Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF) pursues a broad physics program at Fermilab's Tevatron collider. Between Run II commissioning in early 2001 and the end of operations in September 2011, the Tevatron delivered 12 fb-1 of integrated luminosity of p-pbar collisions at sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV. Many physics analyses undertaken by CDF require heavy flavor tagging with large charged particle tracking acceptance. To realize these goals, in 2001 CDF installed eight layers of silicon microstrip detectors around its interaction region. These detectors were designed for 2--5 years of operation, radiation doses up to 2 Mrad (0.02 Gy), and were expected to be replaced in 2004. The sensors were not replaced, and the Tevatron run was extended for several years beyond its design, exposing the sensors and electronics to much higher radiation doses than anticipated. In this paper we describe the operational challenges encountered over the past 10 years of running the CDF silicon detectors, the preventive measures undertaken, and the improvements made along the way to ensure their optimal performance for collecting high quality physics data. In addition, we describe the quantities and methods used to monitor radiation damage in the sensors for optimal performance and summarize the detector performance quantities important to CDF's physics program, including vertex resolution, heavy flavor tagging, and silicon vertex trigger performance.Comment: Preprint accepted for publication in Nuclear Instruments and Methods A (07/31/2013

Femtosecond nonlinear ultrasonics in gold probed with ultrashort surface plasmons

Fundamental interactions induced by lattice vibrations on ultrafast time scales become increasingly important for modern nanoscience and technology. Experimental access to the physical properties of acoustic phonons in the THz frequency range and over the entire Brillouin zone is crucial for understanding electric and thermal transport in solids and their compounds. Here, we report on the generation and nonlinear propagation of giant (1 percent) acoustic strain pulses in hybrid gold/cobalt bilayer structures probed with ultrafast surface plasmon interferometry. This new technique allows for unambiguous characterization of arbitrary ultrafast acoustic transients. The giant acoustic pulses experience substantial nonlinear reshaping already after a propagation distance of 100 nm in a crystalline gold layer. Excellent agreement with the Korteveg-de Vries model points to future quantitative nonlinear femtosecond THz-ultrasonics at the nano-scale in metals at room temperature

Calcific myofibrosis due to pentazocine abuse: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Pentazocine, a synthetic narcotic analgesic, is commonly used for the relief of moderate to severe pain secondary to various conditions. It is usually well tolerated; however, adverse effects are not uncommon, especially when higher doses are used and when it is used in a dependent fashion. There have been reports of various complications associated with its use, including skin fibrosis, skin ulceration, abnormal skin pigmentation and symmetrical myopathy with fibrous myopathy. Fibrosis has usually been reported in the muscles at the site of injection of the drug. Being opioid in nature, it has a high abuse potential.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>Here we report a case of pentazocine-induced calcific myofibrosis in a 42-year-old man involving muscles which were not injected with pentazocine.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This case highlights the care that needs to be taken when prescribing opioid analgesics, such as pentazocine, as routine painkillers. Patients who have history of substance abuse are more likely to abuse other agents, including prescription drugs. Rare consequences such as calcific myofibrosis are devastating and can cause significant lifelong disability.</p

Precision Top-Quark Mass Measurements at CDF

We present a precision measurement of the top-quark mass using the full sample of Tevatron $\sqrt{s}=1.96$ TeV proton-antiproton collisions collected by the CDF II detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 8.7 $fb^{-1}$. Using a sample of $t\bar{t}$ candidate events decaying into the lepton+jets channel, we obtain distributions of the top-quark masses and the invariant mass of two jets from the $W$ boson decays from data. We then compare these distributions to templates derived from signal and background samples to extract the top-quark mass and the energy scale of the calorimeter jets with {\it in situ} calibration. The likelihood fit of the templates from signal and background events to the data yields the single most-precise measurement of the top-quark mass, \mtop = 172.85 \pm$0.71 (stat)$\pm$0.85 (syst) GeV/c^{2}.$Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

A search for resonant production of ttˉt\bar{t} pairs in $4.8\ \rm{fb}^{-1}ofintegratedluminosityof of integrated luminosity of p\bar{p}collisionsat collisions at \sqrt{s}=1.96\ \rm{TeV}$

We search for resonant production of tt pairs in 4.8 fb^{-1} integrated luminosity of ppbar collision data at sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV in the lepton+jets decay channel, where one top quark decays leptonically and the other hadronically. A matrix element reconstruction technique is used; for each event a probability density function (pdf) of the ttbar candidate invariant mass is sampled. These pdfs are used to construct a likelihood function, whereby the cross section for resonant ttbar production is estimated, given a hypothetical resonance mass and width. The data indicate no evidence of resonant production of ttbar pairs. A benchmark model of leptophobic Z \rightarrow ttbar is excluded with m_{Z'} < 900 GeV at 95% confidence level.Comment: accepted for publication in Physical Review D Sep 21, 201