Alcohol consumption and the risk of gastric intestinal metaplasia in a U.S. Veterans population

Background Chronic alcohol use is a risk factor for non-cardia gastric adenocarcinoma. However, it is less well understood whether alcohol use is a risk factor for premalignant mucosal changes, namely gastric intestinal metaplasia. We examined the association between various parameters of alcohol use and risk of gastric intestinal metaplasia. Methods We used data from 2084 participants (including 403 with gastric intestinal metaplasia) recruited between February 2008-August 2013 into a cross-sectional study at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Houston, Texas. All participants underwent a study upper endoscopy with systematic gastric mapping biopsies. Cases had intestinal metaplasia on any non-cardia gastric biopsy. Participants self-reported lifetime history of alcohol consumption, along with other lifestyle risk factors, through a study survey. We calculated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for categories of average alcohol consumption using multivariable logistic regression, and restricted cubic spline regression to explore the potential shape of a dose-response relationship. Results Compared to lifelong non-drinkers, individuals who consumed on average ≥28 drinks per week had no elevated risk for gastric intestinal metaplasia (adjusted OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 0.74–2.19). Based on a spline regression curve and its 95% CI, there was also no demonstrable association between cumulative lifetime alcohol consumption and risk of gastric intestinal metaplasia. Similarly, we found no association between beverage type (beer, wine, liquor/spirits) and risk for gastric intestinal metaplasia. Conclusions Neither amount of alcohol consumed nor specific beverage type was associated with risk of gastric intestinal metaplasia.

Fuzzy Instantons in Landscape and Swampland: Review of the Hartle–Hawking Wave Function and Several Applications

The Euclidean path integral is well approximated by instantons. If instantons are dynamical, they will necessarily be complexified. Fuzzy instantons can have multiple physical applications. In slow-roll inflation models, fuzzy instantons can explain the probability distribution of the initial conditions of the universe. Although the potential shape does not satisfy the slow-roll conditions due to the swampland criteria, the fuzzy instantons can still explain the origin of the universe. If we extend the Euclidean path integral beyond the Hartle–Hawking no-boundary proposal, it becomes possible to examine fuzzy Euclidean wormholes that have multiple physical applications in cosmology and black hole physics.

Crystal Structure, Hirshfeld Surfaces and Energy Framework Studies of a Biologically Active Compound (3E)-3- (2,4- dimethoxybenzyldene) -2,3-dihydro- 4H-chromen-4-one

A new chalcone derivative (3E)-3-(2,4-dimethoxybenzyldene)-2,3-dihydro-4H-chromen-4-one (DBDB) has been synthesized by following the Claisen-Schmidt condensation reaction method at ambient temperature using the slow evaporation technique. The 3D crystal structure was solved using the single-crystal X-ray diffraction method (XRD). XRD intensity data reveal that the title compound crystallizes in an orthorhombic crystal system with non-centrosymmetric space group P21 21 21. The crystallographic parameters such as bond lengths, bond angles, torsion angles were estimated and are found to be in the normal range and comparable with the literature values. The unit cell packing of the molecules shows that the adjacent molecules are linked via C-H…O hydrogen bonds. Hirshfeld surfaces namely dnorm, electrostatic potential, shape index, and curvedness were analyzed to visualize and to evaluate the weak intermolecular interactions, positive and negative potential regions, C-H…π, and π…π stacking interactions, respectively. The 2D fingerprint plots for the whole and delineated interactions were generated and analyzed to estimate their contributions to the total Hirshfeld surfaces. The pairwise intermolecular interactions were calculated as the sum of four scaled energy components namely electrostatic (Eele), polarization (Epol), dispersion (Edis), and exchange-repulsion (Erep) and graphically represented as energy frameworks. The energy frameworks analysis reveals that the total stabilizing energy is highly influenced by dispersion (Edis) energy than the other components. In-vitro and in-silico investigations have also been performed for the title molecule which discloses the efficacious for use as a drug in inhibiting breast cancer cells without affecting the normal cells.

Expanding the Chemical Space of Benzimidazole Dicationic Ionic Liquids

Benzimidazole dicationic ionic liquids (BDILs) have not yet been widely explored in spite of their potential. Therefore, two structurally related families of BDILs, paired with either bromide or bistriflimide anions and bearing alkyl spacers ranging from C3 to C6, have been prepared. Their thermal properties have been studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), while their electrical properties have been assessed by cyclic voltammetry (CV). TG analysis confirmed the higher stability of the bistriflimide BDILs over the bromide BDILs, with minor variation within the two families. Conversely, DSC and CV allowed for ascertaining the role played by the spacer length. In particular, the thermal behavior changed dramatically among the members of the bistriflimide family, and all three possible thermal behavior types of ILs were observed. Furthermore, cyclic voltammetry showed different electrochemical window (C3(C1BenzIm)2/2Tf2N < C4(C1BenzIm)2/2Tf2N, C5(C1BenzIm)2/2Tf2N < C6(C1BenzIm)2/2Tf2N) as well as a reduction peak potential, shape, and intensity as a function of the spacer length. The results obtained highlight the benefit of accessing a more structurally diverse pool of compounds offered by dicationic ILs when compared to the parent monocationic ILs. In particular, gains are to be found in the ease of fine-tuning their properties, which translates in facilitating further investigations toward BDILs as designer solvents and catalysts.

Introduction: Bureaucratic Routes to Migration: Migrants' Lived Experience of Paperwork, Clerks, and Other Immigration Intermediaries

For a number of migrant actors, bureaucratic processes related to immigration constitute the greater part of the route toward their aspired destination and significantly shape their experience of migration and forced immobility. This special issue takes a look at the meaningful ways in which migrant actors interact with immigration bureaucracies and at how administrative procedures, with their highly emotional potential, shape in turn the subjectivity, decisions and actions of migrant actors. All the articles here analyse immigration bureaucracy as a dynamic process mediated by a network of people and by material objects (for example, documents, forms). Whether work, marriage or refuge is the reason for migration, the period of waiting in administrative limbo — which can last years — is crucial to our understanding of the bureaucratic encounter as a social force. This issue, dedicated to migrants’ lived experience of paperwork, clerks and other immigration intermediaries, explores two aspects of migrant actors’ encounters with immigration bureaucracies that go beyond the specificities of each individual’s personal background and trajectory: the production of affects and bureaucratic agency; the former often being the driving force behind the latter.

Intracellular action potential recordings from cardiomyocytes by ultrafast pulsed laser irradiation of fuzzy graphene microelectrodes

Graphene with its unique electrical properties is a promising candidate for carbon-based biosensors such as microelectrodes and field effect transistors. Recently, graphene biosensors were successfully used for extracellular recording of action potentials in electrogenic cells; however, intracellular recordings remain beyond their current capabilities because of the lack of an efficient cell poration method. Here, we present a microelectrode platform consisting of out-of-plane grown three-dimensional fuzzy graphene (3DFG) that enables recording of intracellular cardiac action potentials with high signal-to-noise ratio. We exploit the generation of hot carriers by ultrafast pulsed laser for porating the cell membrane and creating an intimate contact between the 3DFG electrodes and the intracellular domain. This approach enables us to detect the effects of drugs on the action potential shape of human-derived cardiomyocytes. The 3DFG electrodes combined with laser poration may be used for all-carbon intracellular microelectrode arrays to allow monitoring of the cellular electrophysiological state.

Electromagnetic electron hole generation: theory and PIC simulations

&lt;div&gt; &lt;div&gt; &lt;div&gt; &lt;p&gt;Recent MMS observations (&lt;em&gt;e.g.&lt;/em&gt; [Holmes et al, 2018, Steinvall et al., 2019]) exploring various regions of the magnetosphere have found solitary potential structures call Electron phase-space Hole (EH). These structures have kinetic scale (dozens of Debye lengths) and persist during long time (dozens of plasma frequency periods). EH are characterized by a bipolar electric field parallel to ambient magnetic field and fastly propagate along this latter (a few tenths of speed light). We have created a 3D Bernstein-Greene-Kruskal (BGK) model (as [Chen et al, 2004]) adapted to various magnetospheric ambient magnetic fields. BGK model results depend on choice of potential shape and passing distribution function at infinity (before EH potential interaction).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;2D-3V Particle-In-Cell simulations have been developed with the fully kinetic code Smilei [Derouillat et al, 2017], using real magnetosphere plasma parameters. Solitary waves in the magnetotail are three-dimensional potentials which can be generated through nonlinear evolution of an electron beam instability (or bump on tail). The simulated EH are comparable to the EH observed in the magnetosphere with the same parameters.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;We have also investigated the EH formation with density inhomogeneities using a BGK stability model we have developed. Indeed, density inhomogeneities exist notably in interplanetary plasmas. As a result taking into account the background density inhomogeneities, significantly alters the stability criteria. We have performed 2D-3V PIC simulations with realistic inhomogeneous density background (smaller than 10% of mean density) to understand such a type of EH formation.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;References:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Holmes et al., J. Geophys. Res. Space Phys. 123, 9963, 2018&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Steinvall et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 123, 255101, 2019&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Chen et al., Phys. Rev. E 69, 055401, 2004&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Derouillat et al., Comput. Phys. Commun. 222, 351, 2017&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;div&gt; &lt;div&gt; &lt;div&gt; &lt;div&gt; &lt;div&gt; &lt;div&gt; &lt;div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;

Gravitational wave spectra from oscillon formation after inflation

We systematically investigate the preheating behavior of single field inflation with an oscillon-supporting potential. We compute both the properties of the emitted gravitational waves as well as the number density and characteristics of the produced oscillons. By performing numerical simulations for a variety of potential types, we divide the analyzed potentials in two families, each of them containing potentials with varying large- or small-field dependence. We find that the shape of the spectrum and the amplitude of emitted gravitational waves have a universal feature with the peak around the physical wavenumber k/a ∼ m at the inflaton oscillation starting period, irrespective of the exact potential shape. This can be used as a smoking-gun for deducing the existence of a violent preheating phase and possible oscillon formation after inflation. Despite this apparent universality, we also find differences in the shape of the spectrum of emitted gravitational waves between the two families of potentials, leading to discriminating features between them. In particular, all potentials show the emergence of a two-peak structure in the gravitational wave spectrum, arising at the time of oscillon formation. However, potentials that exhibit efficient parametric resonance tend to smear out this structure and by the end of the simulation the two-peak structure is replaced by one broad peak in the GW spectrum. We further compute the number density and properties of the produced oscillons for each potential choice, finding differences in the number density and size distribution of stable oscillons and transient overdensities. We also perform a linear fluctuation analysis and use the corresponding Floquet charts to relate the results of our simulations to the structure of parametric resonance for the various potential types. We find that the growth rate of the scalar perturbations and the associated oscillon formation time are sensitive to the small-field shape of a potential while the macroscopic physical properties of oscillons such as the total number depend on the large-field shape of a potential.