Truncated Hilbert space approach to the 2d ϕ4\phi^{4} theory

We apply the massive analogue of the truncated conformal space approach to study the two dimensional $\phi^{4}$ theory in finite volume. We focus on the broken phase and determine the finite size spectrum of the model numerically. We interpret the results in terms of the Bethe-Yang spectrum, from which we extract the infinite volume masses and scattering matrices for various couplings. We compare these results against semiclassical analysis and perturbation theory. We also analyze the critical point of the model and confirm that it is in the Ising universality class.Comment: pdflatex, 35 pages with 29 pdf figures. Binary program is also attached, run on linux as: phi4 config.dat, v2: typos corrected, comparison to other works and references added, vacuum splitting analysis corrected, comparison to sine-Gordon TCSA added, v3: improved numerics, analysis on excited kink added, critical point investigate

Growth differentiation factor-15 is associated with muscle mass in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and promotes muscle wasting in vivo.

BACKGROUND: Loss of muscle mass is a co-morbidity common to a range of chronic diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Several systemic features of COPD including increased inflammatory signalling, oxidative stress, and hypoxia are known to increase the expression of growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), a protein associated with muscle wasting in other diseases. We therefore hypothesized that GDF-15 may contribute to muscle wasting in COPD. METHODS: We determined the expression of GDF-15 in the serum and muscle of patients with COPD and analysed the association of GDF-15 expression with muscle mass and exercise performance. To determine whether GDF-15 had a direct effect on muscle, we also determined the effect of increased GDF-15 expression on the tibialis anterior of mice by electroporation. RESULTS: Growth differentiation factor-15 was increased in the circulation and muscle of COPD patients compared with controls. Circulating GDF-15 was inversely correlated with rectus femoris cross-sectional area (P < 0.001) and exercise capacity (P < 0.001) in two separate cohorts of patients but was not associated with body mass index. GDF-15 levels were associated with 8-oxo-dG in the circulation of patients consistent with a role for oxidative stress in the production of this protein. Local over-expression of GDF-15 in mice caused wasting of the tibialis anterior muscle that expressed it but not in the contralateral muscle suggesting a direct effect of GDF-15 on muscle mass (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Together, the data suggest that GDF-15 contributes to the loss of muscle mass in COPD

Opportunities and Barriers for Water Co-Governance—A Critical Analysis of Seven Cases of Diffuse Water Pollution from Agriculture in Europe, Australia and North America

Diffuse Water Pollution from Agriculture (DWPA) and its governance has received increased attention as a policy concern across the globe. Mitigation of DWPA is a complex problem that requires a mix of policy instruments and a multi-agency, broad societal response. In this paper, opportunities and barriers for developing co-governance, defined as collaborative societal involvement in the functions of government, and its suitability for mitigation of DWPA are reviewed using seven case studies in Europe (Poland, Denmark, Sweden, The Netherlands and UK), Australia (Murray-Darling Basin) and North America (State of Minnesota). An analytical framework for assessing opportunities and barriers of co-governance was developed and applied in this review. Results indicated that five key issues constitute both opportunities and barriers, and include: (i) pressure for change; (ii) connected governance structures and allocation of resources and funding; (iii) leadership and establishment of partnerships through capacity building; (iv) use and co-production of knowledge; and (v) time commitment to develop water co-governance

KUALITAS KIMIA BUAH BEBERAPA GENOTIPE DURIAN (Durio zibethinus Murr.) ASAL KECAMATAN BANTAN KABUPATEN BENGKALIS

LAJER SIDIK (2024) : KUALITAS KIMIA BUAH BEBERAPA GENOTIPE DURIAN (Durio zibethinus Murr.) ASAL KECAMATAN BANTAN KABUPATEN BENGKALIS Informasi kualitas kimia buah durian asal Kecamatan Bantan Kabupaten Bengkalis sampai saat ini masih sangat terbatas. Keterbatasan informasi mengenai kualitas buah durian asal Kecamatan Bantan Kabupaten Bengkalis dapat menyebabkan lemahnya perlindungan terhadap kekayaan alam kita. Tujuan penelitian ini ialah mendapatkan nilai kualitas kimia buah durian yang ada di Kecamatan Bantan dan melihat keragaman durian di Kecamatan Bantan berdasarkan kimia buah. Penelitian ini telah dilaksanakan pada bulan Juni sampai September 2023 diLaboratorium Reproduksi dan Pemuliaan. Penelitian disusun dengan rancangan acak lengkap dengan genotipe adalah perlakuan dengan ulangan 5 buahdurian/pohon induk, pada parameter kadar air diulang sebanyak 3 kali. Parameter yang diamati meliputi vitamin C, padatan terlarut total, total asam tertitrasi, kadar air dan edible part. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa 13 genotipe durian yang diamati terdapat perbedaan yang signifikan pada parameter yang diamati. Dari ketiga belas genotipe yang diamati, genotipe kopi memiliki kadar vitamin C tertinggi yaitu 189,38mg/100g, diikuti dengan genotipe roti memiliki kadar total asam tertitrasi terendah yaitu 0,34%, genotipe welon memiliki kadar air tertinggi yaitu 60,94% dan genotipe dodong dengan edible part tertinggi yaitu 31,60%. Pada parameter padatan telarut total menunjukkan setiap genotipe memiliki angka yang cukup tinggi yaitu >30⸰brix, angka ini melebihi kapasitas alat ukur refraktometer. Berdasarkan persen similarity pada tingkat 90% durian bengkalis dikelompokkan kedalam 4 kelompok. Kata kunci : Bengkalis, edible part, kad

Patient and Tumour Characteristics of Adult Head and Neck Soft Tissue Sarcomas:A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background. Head and neck soft tissue sarcomas (HNSTS) constitute a rare and heterogeneous cancer entity. Management remains a challenge due to the rarity and varied biological behaviour among various subtypes. This systematic review examines the characteristics of tumours and patients with HNSTS. Materials and Methods. A systematic literature review and meta-analysis were performed using the electronic databases PubMed and Embase. Eight eligible studies were identified, and 13 variables were extracted from each study including 5-year overall survival (OS) rate and 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate. Results. We identified eight studies (n = 1,120 patients; 739 males (66%)) from six different countries). In total, 24 histological subtypes were found, and 20% of the sarcomas (n = 215) could not be subclassified. 607 sarcomas (57%) were <5 cm in diameter, and 945 sarcomas (84%) were grade 3. 1,059 patients (90%) underwent surgery. Estimated 5-year OS was 74% (95% CI; 0.63–0.84%) and 5-year DFS was 56% (95% CI; 38–74%). Conclusion. HNSTS holds a relative poor prognosis possibly explained by the heterogeneity of the disease. Treatment of HNSTS has shown to be highly diverse, underlining the importance of uniformed treatment guidelines in order to achieve improved survival outcomes

Multicentre prospective validation of a urinary peptidome-based classifier for the diagnosis of type 2 diabetic nephropathy

Background Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the major late complications of diabetes. Treatment aimed at slowing down the progression of DN is available but methods for early and definitive detection of DN progression are currently lacking. The ‘Proteomic prediction and Renin angiotensin aldosterone system Inhibition prevention Of early diabetic nephRopathy In TYpe 2 diabetic patients with normoalbuminuria trial' (PRIORITY) aims to evaluate the early detection of DN in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) using a urinary proteome-based classifier (CKD273). Methods In this ancillary study of the recently initiated PRIORITY trial we aimed to validate for the first time the CKD273 classifier in a multicentre (9 different institutions providing samples from 165 T2D patients) prospective setting. In addition we also investigated the influence of sample containers, age and gender on the CKD273 classifier. Results We observed a high consistency of the CKD273 classification scores across the different centres with areas under the curves ranging from 0.95 to 1.00. The classifier was independent of age (range tested 16-89 years) and gender. Furthermore, the use of different urine storage containers did not affect the classification scores. Analysis of the distribution of the individual peptides of the classifier over the nine different centres showed that fragments of blood-derived and extracellular matrix proteins were the most consistently found. Conclusion We provide for the first time validation of this urinary proteome-based classifier in a multicentre prospective setting and show the suitability of the CKD273 classifier to be used in the PRIORITY tria

MicroRNAs-Based Imaging Techniques in Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy.

Cancer is one of the most serious global health concerns in different populations. Several studies indicated that there are many potentially promising cellular and molecular targets for cancer therapy within cancer cells and their microenvironment. Among different cellular and molecular targets involved in cancer pathogenesis, microRNAs (miRNAs) are well known as key targets for cancer therapy. miRNAs are one of main classes of non-coding RNAs. These molecules play important roles in different critical processes of cancer pathogenesis. Hence, this makes miRNAs as a suitable tool for cancer diagnosis and therapy. There are different approaches for monitoring miRNAs in cancer patients. Some conventional approaches including next-generation sequencing, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), northern blotting, and microarrays could be used for assessment of miRNAs expression. Some studies revealed that the utilization of these approaches associated with various limitations. Recently, it has been revealed that molecular imaging techniques are powerful tools for monitoring of different cellular and molecular targets involved in various diseases such as cancer. These techniques help investigators to investigate and monitor miRNAs functions through assessing different targets by fluorescent proteins, bioluminescent enzymes, molecular beacons, as well as various nanoparticles. Therefore, utilization of molecular imaging techniques could assist investigators to better monitor and more effectively treat patients during different phases of malignancy. Here, we give a review on the current state of miRNAs-based imaging techniques in cancer diagnosis and therapy. J. Cell. Biochem. 9999: 1-8, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

The Role of Management of Stream-Riparian Zones on Subsurface-Surface Flow Components

A managed riparian lowland in a glacial landscape (Holtum catchment, Denmark) was studied to quantify the relative importance of subsurface and surface flow to the recipient stream. The hydrogeological characterization combined geoelectrical methods, lithological logs, and piezometric heads with monthly flow measurements of springs, a ditch, and a drain, to determine seasonality and thereby infer flow paths. In addition, groundwater discharge through the streambed was estimated using temperature and water-stable isotopes as tracers. The lowland received large groundwater inputs with minimal seasonal variations from adjacent upland aquifers. This resulted in significant amounts of groundwater-fed surface flow to the stream, via man-made preferential flow paths comprising ditches, drainage systems, and a pond, and via two natural springs. Roughly, two thirds of the stream gain was due to surface flow to the stream, mainly via anthropogenic alterations. In contrast, direct groundwater discharge through the streambed accounted for only 4% of the stream flow gain, although bank seepage (not measured) to the straightened and deepened stream potentially accounted for an additional 17%. Comparison to analogous natural flow systems in the catchment substantiate the impact of anthropogenic alterations of riparian lowlands for the subsurface and surface flow components to their streams