All-spinel oxide Josephson junctions for high-efficiency spin filtering.

Obtaining high efficiency spin filtering at room temperature using spinel ferromagnetic tunnel barriers has been hampered by the formation of antiphase boundaries due to their difference in lattice parameters between barrier and electrodes. In this work we demonstrate the use of LiTi2O4 thin films as electrodes in an all-spinel oxide CoFe2O4-based spin filter devices. These structures show nearly perfect epitaxy maintained throughout the structure and so minimise the potential for APBs formation. The LiTi2O4 in these devices is superconducting and so measurements at low temperature have been used to explore details of the tunnelling and Josephson junction behaviour

Endocrine therapy and related issues in hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer: a roundtable discussion by the breast cancer therapy expert group (BCTEG)

Purpose: Management of breast cancer is a rapidly evolving field, and, although evidence-based guidelines are available for clinicians to provide direction on critical issues in patient care, clinicians often left to address these issues in the context of community practice situations with their patients. These include the patient’s comorbid conditions, actual versus perceived benefit of treatments, patient’s compliance as well as financial/reimbursement issues, and long-term tolerability of therapy. Methods: A meeting of global oncology experts was convened in January 2017 with the belief that there is a gap in clinical practice guidance on several fundamental issues in breast cancer care, particularly in the community setting, where oncologists may encounter multiple tumor types. The goal was to discuss some of the most important questions in this area and provide some guidance for practicing oncologists. Results: Topics addressed included risk of contralateral breast cancer recurrence in patients with estrogen receptor-positive early breast cancer who have undergone 5 years of adjuvant endocrine therapy, adverse events associated with endocrine therapy and their management, emergent data on adjuvant bisphosphonate therapy and its apparent benefit in reducing breast cancer recurrence, recent findings of extended adjuvant endocrine therapy trials, and the use of currently available genomic biomarker tests as a means of further informing treatment decisions. Conclusions: A summary of the discussion on these topics and several ‘expert opinion statements’ are provided herein in an effort to convey the collective insights of the panel as it relates to current standard practice

Computer simulation of breast reduction surgery

Background: Plastic surgery of the breast, particularly breast reduction, is considered difficult. It can become a challenge for a less experienced surgeon to understand exactly what to do when facing a particular type of breast and how to avoid unsatisfactory results. Methods: The goal of this study was to create a computer model of the breast that provides a basis for the simulation of breast surgery, particularly breast reduction. The reconstruction of elastic parameters is based on observations of the breast with the patient in different positions. Results: It is shown that several measurements with the patient in different positions allow one to choose the parameters of the model and determine the elastic coefficients of the breast and the skin. The geometry of the breast before and after surgery is simulated. A qualitative study of the incision parameters’ influence on the final geometry of the breast is presented. Conclusion: The developed methodology and software allow one to estimate the form of the breast after the surgery by knowing its form before surgery and taking into consideration the parameters of incision applied by the surgeon at the time of surgery. The described approach can be used for the qualitative and quantitative study of breast reduction surgery with a satisfactory result. Level of Evidence: V (This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors http://www.springer.com/00266.

Study of Bc+B_c^+ decays to the K+K−π+K^+K^-\pi^+ final state and evidence for the decay Bc+→χc0π+B_c^+\to\chi_{c0}\pi^+

A study of $B_c^+\to K^+K^-\pi^+$ decays is performed for the first time using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 $\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$ collected by the LHCb experiment in $pp$ collisions at centre-of-mass energies of $7$ and $8$ TeV. Evidence for the decay $B_c^+\to\chi_{c0}(\to K^+K^-)\pi^+$ is reported with a significance of 4.0 standard deviations, resulting in the measurement of $\frac{\sigma(B_c^+)}{\sigma(B^+)}\times\mathcal{B}(B_c^+\to\chi_{c0}\pi^+)$ to be $(9.8^{+3.4}_{-3.0}(\mathrm{stat})\pm 0.8(\mathrm{syst}))\times 10^{-6}$. Here $\mathcal{B}$ denotes a branching fraction while $\sigma(B_c^+)$ and $\sigma(B^+)$ are the production cross-sections for $B_c^+$ and $B^+$ mesons. An indication of $\bar b c$ weak annihilation is found for the region $m(K^-\pi^+)<1.834\mathrm{\,Ge\kern -0.1em V\!/}c^2$, with a significance of 2.4 standard deviations.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://lhcbproject.web.cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/LHCbProjectPublic/LHCb-PAPER-2016-022.html, link to supplemental material inserted in the reference

State-space Manifold and Rotating Black Holes

We study a class of fluctuating higher dimensional black hole configurations obtained in string theory/ $M$-theory compactifications. We explore the intrinsic Riemannian geometric nature of Gaussian fluctuations arising from the Hessian of the coarse graining entropy, defined over an ensemble of brane microstates. It has been shown that the state-space geometry spanned by the set of invariant parameters is non-degenerate, regular and has a negative scalar curvature for the rotating Myers-Perry black holes, Kaluza-Klein black holes, supersymmetric $AdS_5$ black holes, $D_1$-$D_5$ configurations and the associated BMPV black holes. Interestingly, these solutions demonstrate that the principal components of the state-space metric tensor admit a positive definite form, while the off diagonal components do not. Furthermore, the ratio of diagonal components weakens relatively faster than the off diagonal components, and thus they swiftly come into an equilibrium statistical configuration. Novel aspects of the scaling property suggest that the brane-brane statistical pair correlation functions divulge an asymmetric nature, in comparison with the others. This approach indicates that all above configurations are effectively attractive and stable, on an arbitrary hyper-surface of the state-space manifolds. It is nevertheless noticed that there exists an intriguing relationship between non-ideal inter-brane statistical interactions and phase transitions. The ramifications thus described are consistent with the existing picture of the microscopic CFTs. We conclude with an extended discussion of the implications of this work for the physics of black holes in string theory.Comment: 44 pages, Keywords: Rotating Black Holes; State-space Geometry; Statistical Configurations, String Theory, M-Theory. PACS numbers: 04.70.-s Physics of black holes; 04.70.Bw Classical black holes; 04.70.Dy Quantum aspects of black holes, evaporation, thermodynamics; 04.50.Gh Higher-dimensional black holes, black strings, and related objects. Edited the bibliograph

Observation of Bc+ →j /ψD (∗)K (∗) decays

A search for the decays B+c→J/ψD(*)0K+ and B+c→J/ψD(*)+K*0 is performed with data collected at the LHCb experiment corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb−1. The decays B+c→J/ψ0K+ and B+c→J/ψD*0K+ are observed for the first time, while first evidence is reported for the B+c→JψD*+K*0 and B+c→J/ψD+K*0 decays. The branching fractions of these decays are determined relative to the B+c→J/ψπ+ decay. The B+c mass is measured, using the J/ψD0K+ final state, to be 6274.28±1.40(stat)±0.32(syst) MeV/c2. This is the most precise single measurement of the B+c mass to date

Clinical utility of remote platelet function measurement using P-selectin: assessment of aspirin, clopidogrel, and prasugrel and bleeding disorders

Vascular diseases such as myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke are associated with increased platelet function whilst the risk of recurrence is reduced by antiplatelet agents such as aspirin, clopidogrel, and prasugrel. However, some patients exhibit high platelet reactivity, especially with clopidogrel. Existing platelet function tests may not be ideal in that they can be expensive, are often time consuming, and measurements must be made near to the patient and within a few hours of blood collection. Platelet activation leads to translocation of P-selectin from alpha-granules to the cell surface. Following activation with arachidonic acid (which is blocked by aspirin) or adenosine diphosphate (inhibited by clopidogrel) and fixation, samples may be stored or posted to a laboratory performing flow cytometric quantification of platelet P-selectin expression. Acute myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke are associated with high platelet reactivity on clopidogrel in 6–58% of patients when assessed with P-selectin expression, and high reactivity was associated with an increased risk of recurrence after myocardial infarction. Use of P-selectin expression tests may also be of relevance to surgical and veterinary practice and the diagnosis of mild bleeding disorders. The present review explores this topic in further detail

Exploring new physics frontiers through numerical relativity

The demand to obtain answers to highly complex problems within strong-field gravity has been met with significant progress in the numerical solution of Einstein's equations - along with some spectacular results - in various setups. We review techniques for solving Einstein's equations in generic spacetimes, focusing on fully nonlinear evolutions but also on how to benchmark those results with perturbative approaches. The results address problems in high-energy physics, holography, mathematical physics, fundamental physics, astrophysics and cosmology

Theory and practice of social norms interventions: eight common pitfalls.

BACKGROUND: Recently, Global Health practitioners, scholars, and donors have expressed increased interest in "changing social norms" as a strategy to promote health and well-being in low and mid-income countries (LMIC). Despite this burgeoning interest, the ability of practitioners to use social norm theory to inform health interventions varies widely. MAIN BODY: Here, we identify eight pitfalls that practitioners must avoid as they plan to integrate a social norms perspective in their interventions, as well as eight learnings. These learnings are: 1) Social norms and attitudes are different; 2) Social norms and attitudes can coincide; 3) Protective norms can offer important resources for achieving effective social improvement in people's health-related practices; 4) Harmful practices are sustained by a matrix of factors that need to be understood in their interactions; 5) The prevalence of a norm is not necessarily a sign of its strength; 6) Social norms can exert both direct and indirect influence; 7) Publicising the prevalence of a harmful practice can make things worse; 8) People-led social norm change is both the right and the smart thing to do. CONCLUSIONS: As the understanding of how norms evolve in LMIC advances, practitioners will develop greater understanding of what works to help people lead change in harmful norms within their contexts. Awareness of these pitfalls has helped several of them increase the effectiveness of their interventions addressing social norms in the field. We are confident that others will benefit from these reflections as well

Using C. elegans to decipher the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental disorders

Prova tipográfica (uncorrected proof)Neurodevelopmental disorders such as epilepsy, intellectual disability (ID), and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) occur in over 2 % of the population, as the result of genetic mutations, environmental factors, or combination of both. In the last years, use of large-scale genomic techniques allowed important advances in the identification of genes/loci associated with these disorders. Nevertheless, following association of novel genes with a given disease, interpretation of findings is often difficult due to lack of information on gene function and effect of a given mutation in the corresponding protein. This brings the need to validate genetic associations from a functional perspective in model systems in a relatively fast but effective manner. In this context, the small nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, presents a good compromise between the simplicity of cell models and the complexity of rodent nervous systems. In this article, we review the features that make C. elegans a good model for the study of neurodevelopmental diseases. We discuss its nervous system architecture and function as well as the molecular basis of behaviors that seem important in the context of different neurodevelopmental disorders. We review methodologies used to assess memory, learning, and social behavior as well as susceptibility to seizures in this organism. We will also discuss technological progresses applied in C. elegans neurobiology research, such as use of microfluidics and optogenetic tools. Finally, we will present some interesting examples of the functional analysis of genes associated with human neurodevelopmental disorders and how we can move from genes to therapies using this simple model organism.The authors would like to acknowledge Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) (PTDC/SAU-GMG/112577/2009). AJR and CB are recipients of FCT fellowships: SFRH/BPD/33611/2009 and SFRH/BPD/74452/2010, respectively