Irrational vs. rational charge and statistics in two-dimensional quantum systems

We show that quasiparticle excitations with irrational charge and irrational exchange statistics exist in tight-biding systems described, in the continuum approximation, by the Dirac equation in (2+1)-dimensional space and time. These excitations can be deconfined at zero temperature, but when they are, the charge re-rationalizes to the value 1/2 and the exchange statistics to that of "quartons" (half-semions).Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Rapid pathway prototyping and engineering using <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i> synthetic genome SCRaMbLE-in methods

AbstractExogenous pathway optimization and chassis engineering are two crucial methods for heterologous pathway expression. The two methods are normally carried out step-wise and in a trial-and-error manner. Here we report a recombinase-based combinatorial method (termed “SCRaMbLE-in”) to tackle both challenges simultaneously. SCRaMbLE-in includes an in vitro recombinase toolkit to rapidly prototype and diversify gene expression at the pathway level and an in vivo genome reshuffling system to integrate assembled pathways into the synthetic yeast genome while combinatorially causing massive genome rearrangements in the host chassis. A set of loxP mutant pairs was identified to maximize the efficiency of the in vitro diversification. Exemplar pathways of β-carotene and violacein were successfully assembled, diversified, and integrated using this SCRaMbLE-in method. High-throughput sequencing was performed on selected engineered strains to reveal the resulting genotype-to-phenotype relationships. The SCRaMbLE-in method proves to be a rapid, efficient, and universal method to fast track the cycle of engineering biology.</jats:p

Metabolic syndrome components and their response to lifestyle and metformin interventions are associated with differences in diabetes risk in persons with impaired glucose tolerance

AIMS: To determine the association of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components with diabetes risk in participants with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and whether intervention-related changes in MetS lead to differences in diabetes incidence. METHODS: We used the National Cholesterol Education Program/Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP/ATP III) revised MetS definition at baseline and intervention-related changes of its components to predict incident diabetes using Cox models in 3234 Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) participants with IGT over an average follow-up of 3.2 years. RESULTS: In an intention-to-treat analysis, the demographic-adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) for diabetes in those with MetS (vs. no MetS) at baseline were 1.7 (1.3-2.3), 1.7 (1.2-2.3) and 2.0 (1.3-3.0) for placebo, metformin and lifestyle groups, respectively. Higher levels of fasting plasma glucose and triglycerides at baseline were independently associated with increased risk of diabetes. Greater waist circumference (WC) was associated with higher risk in placebo and lifestyle groups, but not in the metformin group. In a multivariate model, favourable changes in WC (placebo and lifestyle) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (placebo and metformin) contributed to reduced diabetes risk. CONCLUSIONS: MetS and some of its components are associated with increased diabetes incidence in persons with IGT in a manner that differed according to DPP intervention. After hyperglycaemia, the most predictive factors for diabetes were baseline hypertriglyceridaemia and both baseline and lifestyle-associated changes in WC. Targeting these cardiometabolic risk factors may help to assess the benefits of interventions that reduce diabetes incidence

Competitor analysis of functional group H-bond donor and acceptor properties using the Cambridge Structural Database.

Intermolecular interactions found in the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) are analysed as the outcomes of competitions between the different functional groups that are present in each structure: the most energetically favourable interactions are expected to win more often than weaker interactions. Tracking winners and losers through each crystal structure in the CSD provides data that can be analysed using paired comparison algorithms to rank functional group H-bonding properties based on how frequently they outcompete other functional groups in the crystal. This treatment is superior to simple statistical analyses of whether functional groups H-bond or not, because the distribution of H-bond donors and acceptors in the structures of the molecules found in the CSD is non-random. Most organic molecules contain more acceptors than donors, so that all H-bond donors are almost always H-bonded in all crystal structures, and most acceptors are not. The rankings of H-bond acceptors obtained by applying the TrueSkill paired comparison algorithm to the CSD agree well with the corresponding experimentally determined solution phase H-bond acceptor parameters β, but there is insufficient data to corroborate H-bond donor rankings calculated in the same way. The method is used to make predictions of the H-bond acceptor properties of functional groups for which solution phase measurements are not available.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centr

Studying Cat (Felis catus) Diabetes: Beware of the Acromegalic Imposter

Naturally occurring diabetes mellitus (DM) is common in domestic cats (Felis catus). It has been proposed as a model for human Type 2 DM given many shared features. Small case studies demonstrate feline DM also occurs as a result of insulin resistance due to a somatotrophinoma. The current study estimates the prevalence of hypersomatotropism or acromegaly in the largest cohort of diabetic cats to date, evaluates clinical presentation and ease of recognition. Diabetic cats were screened for hypersomatotropism using serum total insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1; radioimmunoassay), followed by further evaluation of a subset of cases with suggestive IGF-1 (>1000 ng/ml) through pituitary imaging and/ or histopathology. Clinicians indicated pre-test suspicion for hypersomatotropism. In total 1221 diabetic cats were screened; 319 (26.1%) demonstrated a serum IGF-1>1000 ng/ml (95% confidence interval: 23.6-28.6%). Of these cats a subset of 63 (20%) underwent pituitary imaging and 56/63 (89%) had a pituitary tumour on computed tomography; an additional three on magnetic resonance imaging and one on necropsy. These data suggest a positive predictive value of serum IGF-1 for hypersomatotropism of 95% (95% confidence interval: 90-100%), thus suggesting the overall hypersomatotropism prevalence among UK diabetic cats to be 24.8% (95% confidence interval: 21.2-28.6%). Only 24% of clinicians indicated a strong pre-test suspicion; most hypersomatotropism cats did not display typical phenotypical acromegaly signs. The current data suggest hypersomatotropism screening should be considered when studying diabetic cats and opportunities exist for comparative acromegaly research, especially in light of the many detected communalities with the human disease

Optimization of growth media components for polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production from organic acids by Ralstonia eutropha

We employed systematic mixture analysis to determine optimal levels of acetate, propionate, and butyrate for cell growth and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production by Ralstonia eutropha H16. Butyrate was the preferred acid for robust cell growth and high PHA production. The 3-hydroxyvalerate content in the resulting PHA depended on the proportion of propionate initially present in the growth medium. The proportion of acetate dramatically affected the final pH of the growth medium. A model was constructed using our data that predicts the effects of these acids, individually and in combination, on cell dry weight (CDW), PHA content (%CDW), PHA production, 3HV in the polymer, and final culture pH. Cell growth and PHA production improved approximately 1.5-fold over initial conditions when the proportion of butyrate was increased. Optimization of the phosphate buffer content in medium containing higher amounts of butyrate improved cell growth and PHA production more than 4-fold. The validated organic acid mixture analysis model can be used to optimize R. eutropha culture conditions, in order to meet targets for PHA production and/or polymer HV content. By modifying the growth medium made from treated industrial waste, such as palm oil mill effluent, more PHA can be produced.Malaysia. Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI

Inter-generational Transitions of Family Businesses using Private Equity: Lessons for China and Australia from Chinese Family-owned Enterprises in Singapore

Pi-Shen Seet, Christopher Graves and Wee-Liang Ta

Factors influencing Australian nursing students\u27 psychological well-being and suicidal ideation

Session presented on Monday, November 9, 2015: Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the state of psychological well-being and suicidal ideation of Australian nursing students. The study also examined levels of anxiety and depression, and features of personality and family interaction as well as the relationship of these to students\u27 psychological well-being and suicidal ideation. Methods: Participants were Bachelor of nursing students from a University in the Australia. This study utilized a cross sectional descriptive research design, with data collected by structured questionnaires. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20 with descriptive data analysis, Pearson Correlation, and Stepwise Multiple Regression. Results: A total of 201 nursing students (20 male, 181 female) participated in this study; 157 (78.1%) participants were Australian. The mean age of nursing students was 25.80 (SD = 8.43) and 96 (47.8%) identified as Christian. The statistical significant factors related to psychological well-being include anxiety (r = -.540, p 0.001), depression (r = -.647, p 0.001), personality (r = . 642, p 0.001), positive family interaction (r = .362, p 0.001), and negative family interaction (r = -.239, p 0.001). The statistical significant factors related to suicidal ideation include psychological well-being (r = -.480, p 0.001), anxiety (r = .590, p 0.001), depression (r = .684, p 0.001), personality (r = -.372, p 0.001), and positive family interaction (r = -.182, p 0.01). Results indicate a relationship between anxiety and depression and states of psychological well-being and suicidal ideation. Students\u27 with lower ratings of anxiety and depression have increased ratings of psychological well-being and decreased ratings of suicidal ideation. Additionally, increased ratings of positive personality and positive family were related to increased ratings of psychological well-being and decreased ratings of suicidal ideation. Negative family interaction decreases the nursing students\u27 psychological well-being. Conclusion: Depression, personality, and family interaction impact Australian nursing students\u27 psychological well-being. Anxiety, depression, and negative family interaction are influencing factors of the suicidal ideation of Australian nursing students

The comparisons of coping strategies and psychological well-being between Taiwanese and Australian college students

The western and eastern cultures influence college students\u27 coping strategies, life satisfaction and self-actualization, psychological well-being, and depression. Australian college students had higher scores of using Problem Focus Disengagement Coping Strategies and they had higher scores of psychological well-being and life satisfaction and self-actualization

A922 Sequential measurement of 1 hour creatinine clearance (1-CRCL) in critically ill patients at risk of acute kidney injury (AKI)

Meeting abstrac