We observe experimentally the spontaneous formation of star-shaped surface patterns in driven Bose-Einstein condensates. Two-dimensional star-shaped patterns with l -fold symmetry, ranging from ...quadrupole (l = 2) to heptagon modes (l = 7), are parametrically excited by modulating the scattering length near the Feshbach resonance. An effective Mathieu equation and Floquet analysis are utilized, relating the instability conditions to the dispersion of the surface modes in a trapped superfluid. Identifying the resonant frequencies of the patterns, we precisely measure the dispersion relation of the collective excitations. The oscillation amplitude of the surface excitations increases exponentially during the modulation. We find that only the l = 6 mode is unstable due to its emergent coupling with the dipole motion of the cloud. Our experimental results are in excellent agreement with the mean-field framework. Our work opens a new pathway for generating higher-lying collective excitations with applications, such as the probing of exotic properties of quantum fluids and providing a generation mechanism of quantum turbulence.
Background and purpose
Data on the pregnancy outcome of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) remain limited, especially for woman who had received immunosuppressive treatment before ...becoming pregnant. The aim was to evaluate the outcome of pregnancy amongst patients with NMOSD who attempted to become pregnant after NMOSD onset and to identify risk factors that predict pregnancy‐related attack.
Methods
Medical records from 29 patients who attempted to become pregnant after NMOSD onset were retrospectively evaluated and the patients were interviewed for pregnancy outcomes. Pregnancy‐related attack was defined as an attack that occurred during pregnancy or within 1 year of delivery.
Results
Amongst the 29 patients, 26 had 33 pregnancies after NMOSD symptom onset. The 33 pregnancies after NMOSD onset resulted in 24 live births (healthy neonates except one with low birth weight), six miscarriages and three elective abortions. Pregnancy‐related attack occurred in nine (75%) of 12 pregnancies before initiation of immunosuppressive therapy, but in only five (24%) of 21 pregnancies after initiation of immunosuppressive therapy (P = 0.009). Multivariable analysis indicated that pregnancy‐related attack was negatively associated with pregnancy after initiation of rituximab (odds ratio 0.048, 95% confidence interval 0.004–0.546).
Conclusion
Successful pregnancy without maternal and neonatal complications may be feasible in patients with NMOSD. Rituximab treatment before pregnancy might help to prevent pregnancy‐related attack in patients with NMOSD.
The effects of alloy composition on microstructural, especially the formation of large intermetallic compounds, and mechanical properties of various Sn–Ag–Cu solder joints were investigated. The ...range of Ag–Cu content of Sn–Ag–Cu alloys was from 3.0 wt.%Ag–0.5 wt.%Cu to 3.9Ag–0.7 wt.%Cu. The high Ag content alloys exhibit the formation of large Ag
3Sn platelets especially at the solder–reaction layer interfaces, regardless of the kind of substrates. Long Cu
6Sn
5 whiskers are formed in all the solder–Cu joints and the high Cu content solder joints. Those whiskers have two shapes of needle and of hollow types. For the high Cu content solder joints with a 42 alloy substrate, long Ni–Cu–Sn whiskers are also formed at the interface and in the solder. The presence of large Ag
3Sn platelets does not degrade strength directly, but affects fracture mode. Large Ag
3Sn platelets induce brittle fracture at an interface and provide crack initiation sites. In order to avoid the formation of the large intermetallic compounds, especially Ag
3Sn platelets, the optimum composition of Sn–Ag–Cu alloy lies in the lower Ag–Cu content.
Background and purpose
Vaccination against infection becomes important in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) because they are at an increased risk of infection due to ...long‐term immunosuppressive therapy. However, it is unclear whether NMOSD patients under immunosuppression therapy show proper antibody formation after vaccination. Thus the antibody formation after influenza A (H1N1) vaccination in patients with NMOSD receiving rituximab was evaluated.
Methods
The study enrolled 26 patients with NMOSD, nine with multiple sclerosis and eight healthy controls. The enrolled patients had been treated with rituximab (n = 16), mycophenolate mofetil (n = 5), azathioprine (n = 6) and interferon‐β (IFN‐β) (n = 8). Antibodies against the H1N1 influenza virus were measured in the serum drawn just before (T0) and between 3 and 5 weeks after (T1) vaccination. The immunization states for hepatitis B virus surface antigen, measles and tetanus during the treatment period were also tested.
Results
The rituximab group showed significantly lower geometric mean titer, seroprotection rate and mean fold increase than the azathioprine group, IFN‐β group and healthy controls, and a lower seroconversion rate than the IFN‐β group. This decrease in vaccination efficacy was also shown in patients receiving mycophenolate mofetil. The immunization state for hepatitis B virus surface antigen, measles and tetanus remained the same during the treatment period with each drug, suggesting that these treatments do not affect previously formed immunity.
Conclusion
This study shows a severely hampered humoral immune response to H1N1 influenza vaccine in patients with NMOSD treated with rituximab, although the vaccination itself is safe in these patients.
Alpha thalassemia/mental retardation syndrome X-linked chromatin remodeler (ATRX), a DAXX (death domain-associated protein) interacting protein, is often lost in cells using the alternative ...lengthening of telomeres (ALT) pathway, but it is not known how ATRX loss leads to ALT. We report that ATRX deletion from mouse cells altered the repair of telomeric double-strand breaks (DSBs) and induced ALT-like phenotypes, including ALT-associated promyelocytic leukemia (PML) bodies (APBs), telomere sister chromatid exchanges (T-SCEs), and extrachromosomal telomeric signals (ECTSs). Mechanistically, we show that ATRX affects telomeric DSB repair by promoting cohesion of sister telomeres and that loss of ATRX in ALT cells results in diminished telomere cohesion. In addition, we document a role for DAXX in the repair of telomeric DSBs. Removal of telomeric cohesion in combination with DAXX deficiency recapitulates all telomeric DSB repair phenotypes associated with ATRX loss. The data reveal that ATRX has an effect on telomeric DSB repair and that this role involves both telomere cohesion and a DAXX-dependent pathway.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Bifidobacterium lactis HY8101 on insulin resistance induced using tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) in rat L6 skeletal muscle cells and on ...the KK‐AY mouse noninsulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) model. METHODS AND RESULTS: The treatment using HY8101 improved the insulin‐stimulated glucose uptake and translocation of GLUT4 via the insulin signalling pathways AKT and IRS‐1(Tyr) in TNF‐α‐treated L6 cells. HY8101 increased the mRNA levels of GLUT4 and several insulin sensitivity‐related genes (PPAR‐γ) in TNF‐α‐treated L6 cells. In KK‐AY mice, HY8101 decreased fasting insulin and blood glucose and significantly improved insulin tolerance. HY8101 improved diabetes‐induced plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride (TG) levels and increased the muscle glycogen content. We observed concurrent transcriptional changes in the skeletal muscle tissue and the liver. In the skeletal muscle tissue, the glycogen synthesis‐related gene pp‐1 and GLUT4 were up‐regulated in mice receiving HY8101 treatment. In the liver, the hepatic gluconeogenesis‐regulated genes (PCK1 and G6PC) were down‐regulated in mice receiving HY8101 treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Bifidobacterium lactis HY8101 can be used to moderate glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity in mice and in cells. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Bifidobacterium lactis HY8101 might have potential as a probiotic candidate for alleviating metabolic syndromes such as diabetes.
The microstructures and tensile properties of three typical Sn–Ag–Cu alloys, Sn–3.0wt.%Ag–0.5wt.%Cu, Sn–3.5wt.%Ag–0.7wt.%Cu and Sn–3.9wt.%Ag–0.6wt.%Cu, prepared under three different cooling ...conditions were evaluated after casting. The microstructures of all rapidly cooled specimens consisted of the eutectic phase of β-Sn with fine fibrous Ag
3Sn dispersion surrounding primary β-Sn grains. The slowly cooled Sn–3.5Ag–0.7Cu and Sn–3.9Ag–0.6Cu alloys exhibited additional large primary Ag
3Sn platelets, while the Sn–3.0Ag–0.5Cu did not. For all alloys, both ultimate tensile strength and 0.2% proof stress increased with increasing strain-rates in tensile tests. Lowering cooling speed decreased tensile strength. Elongation increased with an increasing strain rate from 10
−5 to 10
−2 s
−1, and decreased slightly at 10
−1 s
−1 for the rapidly cooled specimens. Elongation remarkably decreased for the slowly cooled Sn–3.5Ag–0.7Cu and Sn–3.9Ag–0.6Cu alloys, a degradation attributable to the formation of large primary Ag
3Sn platelets.
A hierarchical flower-like ordered arrangement of the pores in the porous film was explored by combination of the breath figure technique and layer-by-layer solution casting process. A layer-by-layer ...polymers system of polystyrene (PS) and polyimide (PI) was used to form uniform surface for the casting instead of the non-uniform surface of blended polymers. From top and cross-sectional SEM images, surface flower-like pores, and bottom spherical pores interconnected each other are imaged. The pore shape was tunable from spherical to obovate by controlling the interfacial tension between the condensed water and the polymer solution. Based on the deep experimental observation, the formation mechanism for flower-like ordered hierarchical porous structure was proposed.
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•Hierarchical honeycomb-patterned porous polymer film was explored by breath figure.•A layer-by-layer technique are employed for the homogeneous condensation figuring.•A highly regular and hexagonal porous package as a flower array was observed.•Effect of polymer's ratio and position on the pattern and pore shapes was studied.•Formation mechanism of flower-like porous pattern was suggested.
Introduction
Based on the results showing that there are more alcoholics in the low-income bracket, case management (CM) for such cases was initiated in 2011. As a result, the treatment failure rate ...was identified between 43-44% based on the WHO criteria.
Objectives
We investigated the predictive factors for the treatment failure to maximize successful CM treatment.
Methods
Thirty-nine subjects from Sasang-gu and Saha-gu treated by four social workers using CM were included in this study. Failure was defined when the level of risk was maintained or increased as per the WHO criteria. The clinical characteristics of the subjects including their age and gender were collected.
Results
Typically, 17 (43.6%) subjects demonstrated treatment failure by the CM (TF). Compared with the subjects who were treated successfully (n=22; TS), TF maintained abstinence in shorter periods in terms of the longest abstinent period compared with TS while CM (28.24±.99 vs. 76.82±.27, p=.025). The higher population in TF did not make an effort to quit drinking compared with TS while CM (41.2% vs.13.6%, p=.051). Also, more TF stayed with their family members compared with TS (58.8% vs. 31.8%, p=.092).
Conclusions
The results showed that shorter abstinence periods and the absence of efforts initiated to quit drinking while CM, and living with family members were the predictive factors for failure in treating alcoholics by the CM. It is presumed that influencing patients to quit drinking and encouraging them to abstain for longer periods are crucial to attaining successful treatment.
Disclosure
No significant relationships.
A simple pathway for the fabrication of real moth eyelike patterned (MEP) polymer film with a double-layered nano/microhierarchical structure is demonstrated through a solid/liquid interfacial ...reaction at atmospheric conditions. A convex-structured polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film containing CdCl2 was first fabricated using a self-organized honeycomb-patterned porous film as a template. The CdCl2/PVA convex film was immersed into Na2S/ethanol solution to facilitate the reaction between CdCl2 and Na2S at the solid/liquid interface, which led to the functionalization of CdS nanoparticles in the convex-structured PVA film. The tunable introduction of interfacial reaction resulted in the formation of a CdS moth eyelike nanoarray on the top surface of the PVA convex microarray, which mimicked the real moth eye (PVA–CdS MEP). PVA–CdS MEP film with a double moth eyelike structure showed improved antireflective property in comparison with flat and convex-structured PVA films. The PVA–CdS MEP film showed photoresponse under simulated solar light radiation and flexible duration after 500 cycles of folding.
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