171 research outputs found
Coulomb drag at \nu = 1/2: Composite fermion pairing fluctuations
We consider the Coulomb drag between two two-dimensional electron layers at
filling factor \nu = 1/2 each, using a strong coupling approach within the
composite fermion picture. Due to an attractive interlayer interaction,
composite fermions are expected to form a paired state below a critical
temperature T_c. We find that above T_c pairing fluctuations make the
longitudinal transresistivity \rho_D increase with decreasing temperature. The
pairing mechanism we study is very sensitive to density variations in the two
layers, and to an applied current. We discuss possible relation to an
experiment by Lilly et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 1714 (1998)].Comment: REVTeX, 4 pages, 1 figur
Coulomb drag as a signature of the paired quantum Hall state
Motivated by the recent Coulomb drag experiment of M. P. Lilly et. al, we
study the Coulomb drag in a two-layer system with Landau level filling factor
. We find that the drag conductivity in the incompressible paired
quantum Hall state at zero temperature can be finite. The drag conductivity is
also greatly enhanced above , at which the transition between the weakly
coupled compressible liquids and the paired quantum Hall liquid takes place. We
discuss the implications of our results for the recent experiment.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure included, replaced by the published versio
Pre-radiotherapy plasma carotenoids and markers of oxidative stress are associated with survival in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients: a prospective study
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The purpose of this study was to compare plasma levels of antioxidants and oxidative stress biomarkers in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients with healthy controls. Furthermore, the effect of radiotherapy on these biomarkers and their association with survival in HNSCC patients were investigated.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Seventy-eight HNSCC patients and 100 healthy controls were included in this study. Follow-up samples at the end of radiotherapy were obtained in 60 patients. Fifteen antioxidant biomarkers (6 carotenoids, 4 tocopherols, ascorbic acid, total antioxidant capacity, glutathione redox potential, total glutathione and total cysteine) and four oxidative stress biomarkers (total hydroperoxides, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, 8-isoprostagladin F<sub>2α </sub>and ratio of oxidized/total ascorbic acid) were measured in plasma samples. Analysis of Covariance was used to compare biomarkers between patients and healthy controls. Kaplan-Meier plots and Cox' proportional hazards models were used to study survival among patients.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Dietary antioxidants (carotenoids, tocopherols and ascorbic acid), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and modified FRAP were lower in HNSCC patients compared to controls and dietary antioxidants decreased during radiotherapy. Total hydroperoxides (d-ROMs), a marker for oxidative stress, were higher in HNSCC patients compared to controls and increased during radiotherapy. Among the biomarkers analyzed, high levels of plasma carotenoids before radiotherapy are associated with a prolonged progression-free survival (hazard rate ratio: 0.42, 95% CI: 0.20-0.91, p = 0.03). Additionally, high relative increase in plasma levels of d-ROMs (hazard rate ratio: 0.31, 95% CI: 0.13-0.76, p = 0.01) and high relative decrease in FRAP (hazard rate ratio: 0.42, 95% CI: 0.17-0.998, p = 0.05) during radiotherapy are also positively associated with survival.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Biomarkers of antioxidants and oxidative stress are unfavourable in HNSCC patients compared to healthy controls, and radiotherapy affects many of these biomarkers. Increasing levels of antioxidant biomarkers before radiotherapy and increasing oxidative stress during radiotherapy may improve survival indicating that different factors/mechanisms may be important for survival before and during radiotherapy in HNSCC patients. Thus, the therapeutic potential of optimizing antioxidant status and oxidative stress should be explored further in these patients.</p
Physiologically based kinetic (PBK) modelling and human biomonitoring data for mixture risk assessment
Human biomonitoring (HBM) data can provide insight into co-exposure patterns resulting from exposure to multiple chemicals from various sources and over time. Therefore, such data are particularly valuable for assessing potential risks from combined exposure to multiple chemicals. One way to interpret HBM data is establishing safe levels in blood or urine, called Biomonitoring Equivalents (BE) or HBM health based guidance values (HBM-HBGV). These can be derived by converting established external reference values, such as tolerable daily intake (TDI) values. HBM-HBGV or BE values are so far agreed only for a very limited number of chemicals. These values can be established using physiologically based kinetic (PBK) modelling, usually requiring substance specific models and the collection of many input parameters which are often not available or difficult to find in the literature. The aim of this study was to investigate the suitability and limitations of generic PBK models in deriving BE values for several compounds with a view to facilitating the use of HBM data in the assessment of chemical mixtures at a screening level. The focus was on testing the methodology with two generic models, the IndusChemFate tool and High-Throughput Toxicokinetics package, for two different classes of compounds, phenols and phthalates. HBM data on Danish children and on Norwegian mothers and children were used to evaluate the quality of the predictions and to illustrate, by means of a case study, the overall approach of applying PBK models to chemical classes with HBM data in the context of chemical mixture risk assessment. Application of PBK models provides a better understanding and interpretation of HBM data. However, the study shows that establishing safety threshold levels in urine is a difficult and complex task. The approach might be more straightforward for more persistent chemicals that are analysed as parent compounds in blood but high uncertainties have to be considered around simulated metabolite concentrations in urine. Refining the models may reduce these uncertainties and improve predictions. Based on the experience gained with this study, the performance of the models for other chemicals could be investigated, to improve the accuracy of the simulations
The effective action of (2+1)-dimensional QED: the effect of finite fermion density
The effective action of (2+1)-dimensional QED with finite fermion density is
calculated in a uniform electromagnetic field. It is shown that the integer
quantum Hall effect and de Haas-van Alphen like phenomena in condensed matter
physics are derived directly from the effective action.Comment: 10 pages, Revtex, No figure
Effective action of a 2+1 dimensional system of nonrelativistic fermions in the presence of a uniform magnetic field: dissipation effects
The effective action of nonrelativistic fermions in 2+1 dimensions is
analyzed at finite temperature and chemical potential in the presence of a
uniform magnetic field perpendicular to the plane. The method used is a
generalization of the derivative expansion technique. The induced Chern-Simons
term is computed and shown to exhibit the Hall quantization. Effects of
dissipation due to collisions are also analyzed.Comment: 12 page
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