Gut microbiota-derived propionate reduces cancer cell proliferation in the liver

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Cooperative coupling of ultracold atoms and surface plasmons

Cooperative coupling between optical emitters and light fields is one of the outstanding goals in quantum technology. It is both fundamentally interesting for the extraordinary radiation properties of the participating emitters and has many potential applications in photonics. While this goal has been achieved using high-finesse optical cavities, cavity-free approaches that are broadband and easy to build have attracted much attention recently. Here we demonstrate cooperative coupling of ultracold atoms with surface plasmons propagating on a plane gold surface. While the atoms are moving towards the surface they are excited by an external laser pulse. Excited surface plasmons are detected via leakage radiation into the substrate of the gold layer. A maximum Purcell factor of $\eta_\mathrm{P}=4.9$ is reached at an optimum distance of $z=250~\mathrm{nm}$ from the surface. The coupling leads to the observation of a Fano-like resonance in the spectrum.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure

Modeling the Images of Relativistic Jets Lensed by Galaxies with Different Mass Surface Density Distributions

The images of relativistic jets from extragalactic sources produced by gravitational lensing by galaxies with different mass surface density distributions are modeled. In particular, the following models of the gravitational lens mass distribution are considered: a singular isothermal ellipsoid, an isothermal ellipsoid with a core, two- and three-component models with a galactic disk, halo, and bulge. The modeled images are compared both between themselves and with available observations. Different sets of parameters are shown to exist for the gravitationally lensed system B0218+357 in multicomponent models. These sets allow the observed geometry of the system and the intensity ratio of the compact core images to be obtained, but they lead to a significant variety in the Hubble constant determined from the modeling results.Comment: 26 pages, 9 figures, will be published in the Astronomy Letters, 2011, v.37, N4, pp. 233-24

Credible Autocoding of Convex Optimization Algorithms

International audienceThe efficiency of modern optimization methods, coupled with increasing computational resources, has led to the possibility of real-time optimization algorithms acting in safety critical roles. There is a considerable body of mathematical proofs on on-line optimization programs which can be leveraged to assist in the development and verification of their implementation. In this paper, we demonstrate how theoretical proofs of real-time optimization algorithms can be used to describe functional properties at the level of the code, thereby making it accessible for the formal methods community. The running example used in this paper is a generic semi-definite programming (SDP) solver. Semi-definite programs can encode a wide variety of optimization problems and can be solved in polynomial time at a given accuracy. We describe a top-to-down approach that transforms a high-level analysis of the algorithm into useful code annotations. We formulate some general remarks about how such a task can be incorporated into a convex programming autocoder. We then take a first step towards the automatic verification of the optimization program by identifying key issues to be adressed in future work

Caveolin contributes to the modulation of basal and β-adrenoceptor stimulated function of the adult rat ventricular myocyte by simvastatin: A novel pleiotropic effect

The number of people taking statins is increasing across the globe, highlighting the Importance of fully understanding statins effects on the cardiovascular system. The beneficial impact of statins extends well beyond regression of atherosclerosis to include direct effects on tissues of the cardiovascular system (pleiotropic effects). Pleiotropic effects on the cardiac myocyte are often overlooked. Here we consider the contribution of the caveolin protein, whose expression and cellular distribution is dependent on cholesterol, to statin effects on the cardiac myocyte. Caveolin is a structural and regulatory component of caveolae, and is a key regulator of cardiac contractile function and adrenergic responsiveness. We employed an experimental model in which inhibition of myocyte HMG CoA reductase could be studied in the absence of paracrine influences from non-myocyte cells. Adult rat ventricular myocytes were treated with 10 μM simvastatin for 2 days. Simvastatin treatment reduced myocyte cholesterol, caveolin 3 and caveolar density. Negative inotropic and positive lusitropic effects (with corresponding changes in [Ca2]¡) were seen in statin-treated cells. Simvastatin significantly potentiated the inotropic response to β2-, but not β1-, adrenoceptor stimulation. Under conditions of β2-adrenoceptor stimulation, phosphorylation of phospholamban at Ser16and troponin I at Ser23/24was enhanced with statin treatment. Simvastatin increased NO production without significant effects on eNOS expression or phosphorylation (Ser1177), consistent with the reduced expression of caveolin 3, its constitutive Inhibitor. In conclusion, statin treatment can reduce caveolin 3 expression, with functional consequences consistent with the known role of caveolae in the cardiac cell. These data are likely to be of significance, particularly during the early phases of statin treatment, and in patients with heart failure who have altered ß-adrenoceptor signalling. In addition, as caveolin is ubiquitously expressed and has myriad tissue-specific functions, the impact of statin-dependent changes in caveolin is likely to have many other functional sequelae

Pattern of surgical admissions to Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A five-year retrospective study

Background: Tikur Anbessa specialized hospital (TASH) is Ethiopia’s largest tertiary teaching and referral hospital admitting and treating surgical patients under various specialties. This study aims to analyze the magnitude and pattern of surgical admissions to this facility. Methods: A five-year Cross sectional retrospective analysis was done on all adult surgical admissions to TASH from Sept. 2010 to Sept. 2015. Results: There were a total of 8,698 surgical admissions of which, 4471 (51.4%) were male and 4227 (48.5%) were female with male to female ratio of 1.06:1. Their age ranged from 13 to 95, with mean age being 38.8 ± 16.2 years. Three thousand two hundred twenty two (46.5%) patients were from Addis Ababa. Of all admissions, 4706 (54.1%) were elective ones of which obstructive uropathy, 997(21.1%), esophageal diseases, 716(15.2%) and Urolithiasis, 573(12.2%) respectively are the top three. The rest, 3992 (44.9%), were emergency admissions, the top three ones being trauma, 1435(35.9%), appendicitis 281(7%) and Intestinal obstruction, 190(4.7%) respectively. General surgical (gastrointestinal, endocrine and vascular) cases account for 3414 (39.25%) of all admissions followed by urosurgical cases, 2114 (25.31%), cardiothoracic surgical cases, 1942 (22.33%), and neurosurgical cases, 1139 (13.1%). There were a total of 280 deaths with an overall mortality rate of 4% of which, 3.2% were from elective admissions and 5.2% from emergency ones. Mortality rate was the highest among neurosurgical patients being 6.3% followed by 4.3%, 3.8% and 3.5% in cardiothoracic, general surgical and urosurgical cases respectively. Conclusions: The admission pattern indicates quite a big number and diversity of cases though the bed capacity is limited. There are significant number of cases that could be treated at other secondary level hospitals. Trauma is the leading cause of emergency admissions and significant cause of mortality. We recommend increasing the number of beds, organizing separate trauma center and admitting only cases requiring tertiary level care. Keywords: pattern of surgical diseases; surgical admissions; Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital

«La relation de limitation et d’exception dans le français d’aujourd’hui : excepté, sauf et hormis comme pivots d’une relation algébrique »

L’analyse des emplois prépositionnels et des emplois conjonctifs d’ “excepté”, de “sauf” et d’ “hormis” permet d’envisager les trois prépositions/conjonctions comme le pivot d’un binôme, comme la plaque tournante d’une structure bipolaire. Placées au milieu du binôme, ces prépositions sont forcées par leur sémantisme originaire dûment métaphorisé de jouer le rôle de marqueurs d’inconséquence systématique entre l’élément se trouvant à leur gauche et celui qui se trouve à leur droite. L’opposition qui surgit entre les deux éléments n’est donc pas une incompatibilité naturelle, intrinsèque, mais extrinsèque, induite. Dans la plupart des cas (emplois limitatifs), cette opposition prend la forme d’un rapport entre une « classe » et le « membre (soustrait) de la classe », ou bien entre un « tout » et une « partie » ; dans d’autres (emplois exceptifs), cette opposition se manifeste au contraire comme une attaque de front portée par un « tout » à un autre « tout ». De plus, l’inconséquence induite mise en place par la préposition/conjonction paraît, en principe, tout à fait insurmontable. Dans l’assertion « les écureuils vivent partout, sauf en Australie » (que l’on peut expliciter par « Les écureuils vivent partout, sauf [qu’ils ne vivent pas] en Australie »), la préposition semble en effet capable d’impliquer le prédicat principal avec signe inverti, et de bâtir sur une telle implication une sorte de sous énoncé qui, à la rigueur, est totalement inconséquent avec celui qui le précède (si « les écureuils ne vivent pas en Australie », le fait qu’ils « vivent partout » est faux). Néanmoins, l’analyse montre qu’alors que certaines de ces oppositions peuvent enfin être dépassées, d’autres ne le peuvent pas. C’est, respectivement, le cas des relations limitatives et des relations exceptives. La relation limitative, impliquant le rapport « tout » - « partie », permet de résoudre le conflit dans les termes d’une somme algébrique entre deux sous énoncés pourvus de différent poids informatif et de signe contraire. Les valeurs numériques des termes de la somme étant déséquilibrées, le résultat est toujours autre que zéro. La relation exceptive, au contraire, qui n’implique pas le rapport « tout » - « partie », n’est pas capable de résoudre le conflit entre deux sous énoncés pourvus du même poids informatif et en même temps de signe contraire : les valeurs numériques des termes de la somme étant symétriques et égales, le résultat sera toujours équivalent à zéro