Derivations on symmetric quasi-Banach ideals of compact operators

Let $\mathcal{I,J}$ be symmetric quasi-Banach ideals of compact operators on an infinite-dimensional complex Hilbert space $H$, let $\mathcal{J:I}$ be a space of multipliers from $\mathcal{I}$ to $\mathcal{J}$. Obviously, ideals $\mathcal{I}$ and $\mathcal{J}$ are quasi-Banach algebras and it is clear that ideal $\mathcal{J}$ is a bimodule for $\mathcal{I}$. We study the set of all derivations from $\mathcal{I}$ into $\mathcal{J}$. We show that any such derivation is automatically continuous and there exists an operator $a\in\mathcal{J:I}$ such that $\delta(\cdot)=[a,\cdot]$, moreover $\|a\|_{\mathcal{B}(H)}\leq\|\delta\|_\mathcal{I\to J}\leq 2C\|a\|_\mathcal{J:I}$, where $C$ is the modulus of concavity of the quasi-norm $\|\cdot\|_\mathcal{J}$. In the special case, when $\mathcal{I=J=K}(H)$ is a symmetric Banach ideal of compact operators on $H$ our result yields the classical fact that any derivation $\delta$ on $\mathcal{K}(H)$ may be written as $\delta(\cdot)=[a,\cdot]$, where $a$ is some bounded operator on $H$ and $\|a\|_{\mathcal{B}(H)}\leq\|\delta\|_\mathcal{I\to I}\leq 2\|a\|_{\mathcal{B}(H)}$.Comment: 21 page

Effect of Feed Restriction on the Behaviour and Welfare of Broiler Chickens

Under intensive rearing conditions, the welfare of broiler chickens may be at risk depending on genotype and sex, due to their different growth rates. The practice of quantitative feed restriction may also impact on welfare. This study aimed to evaluate behaviour and corticosterone content in plasma and faeces at different ages using 896 one-day-old chicks housed in 32 pens, allocated to 8 groups, i.e., 2 genotypes (standard vs. high breast yield) 7 2 sex 7 2 feeding plans (ad libitum vs. restricted, AL vs. FR). The feeding system affected the percentage of standing (9.84% vs. 11.7% in AL vs. FR; p 64 0.001), feeding (7.51% vs. 8.17%; p 64 0.01) and sitting/lying (67.0% vs. 64.1%; p 64 0.001), and the faeces corticosterone content (12.2 vs. 13.6 ng/g in AL vs. FR; p 64 0.10). Sex affected the percentage of pecking other chickens, standing and comfort behaviours. Changes in behaviour were recorded between high and standard breast yield genotypes with faeces corticosterone which tended to be higher in the former (p 64 0.10). Significant interactions between the main factors and age were observed. Major changes in behaviour were due to feed restriction, which stimulated activity during restriction

A pilot study of medical student attitudes to, and use of, commercial movies that address public health issues

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>An innovative approach to learning public health by using feature-length commercial movies was piloted in the fourth year of a medical degree. We aimed to explore how students responded to this approach and the relative effectiveness of two promotional strategies. Firstly we placed DVDs of 15 movies (with public health-related content) in the medical school library. Then alternating groups of students (total n = 82 students) were exposed to either a brief promotional intervention or a more intensive intervention involving a class presentation. The response rates were 99% at baseline and 85% at follow-up.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>The level and strength of support for using movies in public health training increased after exposure to the public health module with significantly more students "strongly agreeing". Student behaviour, in terms of movies viewed or accessed from the library, also suggested student interest. While there were no statistically significant differences in median viewing or library access rates between the two intervention groups, the distribution of viewing patterns was shifted favourably. Those exposed to the more intensive intervention (class presentation) were significantly more likely to have reported watching at least one movie (97% vs. 81%; p = 0.033) or to having accessed at least one movie from the library (100% vs. 70%, p = 0.0001).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This pilot study found that the students had very positive attitudes towards viewing public health-related commercial movies. Movie access rates from the library were also favourable.</p

The complex light-curve of the afterglow of GRB071010A

We present and discuss the results of an extensive observational campaign devoted to GRB071010A, a long-duration gamma-ray burst detected by the Swift satellite. This event was followed for almost a month in the optical/near-infrared (NIR) with various telescopes starting from about 2min after the high-energy event. Swift-XRT observations started only later at about 0.4d. The light-curve evolution allows us to single out an initial rising phase with a maximum at about 7min, possibly the afterglow onset in the context of the standard fireball model, which is then followed by a smooth decay interrupted by a sharp rebrightening at about 0.6d. The rebrightening was visible in both the optical/NIR and X-rays and can be interpreted as an episode of discrete energy injection, although various alternatives are possible. A steepening of the afterglow light curve is recorded at about 1d. The entire evolution of the optical/NIR afterglow is consistent with being achromatic. This could be one of the few identified GRB afterglows with an achromatic break in the X-ray through the optical/NIR bands. Polarimetry was also obtained at about 1d, just after the rebrightening and almost coincident with the steepening. This provided a fairly tight upper limit of 0.9% for the polarized-flux fraction.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, MNRAS, in pres

The complex light-curve of the afterglow of GRB071010A

We present and discuss the results of an extensive observational campaign devoted to GRB071010A, a long-duration gamma-ray burst detected by the Swift satellite. This event was followed for almost a month in the optical/near-infrared (NIR) with various telescopes starting from about 2min after the high-energy event. Swift-XRT observations started only later at about 0.4d. The light-curve evolution allows us to single out an initial rising phase with a maximum at about 7min, possibly the afterglow onset in the context of the standard fireball model, which is then followed by a smooth decay interrupted by a sharp rebrightening at about 0.6d. The rebrightening was visible in both the optical/NIR and X-rays and can be interpreted as an episode of discrete energy injection, although various alternatives are possible. A steepening of the afterglow light curve is recorded at about 1d. The entire evolution of the optical/NIR afterglow is consistent with being achromatic. This could be one of the few identified GRB afterglows with an achromatic break in the X-ray through the optical/NIR bands. Polarimetry was also obtained at about 1d, just after the rebrightening and almost coincident with the steepening. This provided a fairly tight upper limit of 0.9% for the polarized-flux fraction.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, MNRAS, in pres

Precise measurement of Γ(H⟶γγ)\Gamma (H \longrightarrow \gamma \gamma) at a PLC and theoretical consequences

With the LEP II Higgs search approaching exclusion limits on low values of $\tan \beta \sim 2$ it becomes increasingly important to investigate physical quantities sensitive to large masses of a pseudoscalar Higgs mass. This regime is difficult and over a large range of $\tan \beta$ impossible to cover at the LHC proton proton collider. In this paper we focus on the achievable statistical precision of the Higgs decay into two photons at a future $\gamma \gamma$ collider (PLC) in the MSSM mass range below 130 GeV. The MSSM and SM predictions for $\Gamma (H \longrightarrow \gamma \gamma)$ can differ by up to 10 % even in the decoupling limit of large $m_A$. We summarize recent progress in both the theoretical understanding of the background process $\gamma \gamma \longrightarrow q \bar{q}$, $q=\{b,c\}$, and in the expected detector performance allow for a high accuracy of the lightest MSSM or SM Higgs boson decay into a $b \bar{b}$ pair. We find that for optimized but still realistic detector and accelerator assumptions, statistically a 1.4% accuracy is feasible after about four years of collecting data for a Higgs boson mass which excludes $\tan \beta <2$.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, contributed to LP99 at Stanford, C

Bioactivity, physical and chemical properties of MTA mixed with propylene glycol

AbstractObjective To investigate the physical (setting time, hardness, flowability, microstructure) and chemical (pH change, calcium release, crystallinity) properties and the biological outcomes (cell survival and differentiation) of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) mixed using different proportions of propylene glycol (PG) and water.Material and Methods White MTA was mixed with different water/PG ratios (100/0, 80/20 and 50/50). Composition (XRD), microstructure (SEM), setting time (ASTM C266-13), flowability (ANSI/ADA 57-2000), Knoop hardness (100 g/10 s) and chemical characteristics (pH change and Ca2+ release for 7 days) were evaluated. Cell proliferation, osteo/odontoblastic gene expression and mineralization induced by MTA mixed with PG were evaluated. MTA discs (5 mm in diameter, 2 mm thick) were prepared and soaked in culture medium for 7 days. Next, the discs were removed and the medium used to culture dental pulp stem cells (DPSC) for 28 days. Cells survival was evaluated using MTS assay (24, 72 and 120 h) and differentiation with RT-PCR (ALP, OCN, Runx2, DSPP and MEPE) and alizarin red staining (7 and 14 days). Data were analysed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s post-hoc analysis (a=0.05).Results The addition of PG significantly increased setting time, flowability and Ca2+ release, but it compromised the hardness of the material. SEM showed that 50/50 group resulted porous material after setting due to the incomplete setting reaction, as shown by XRD analysis. The addition of PG (80/20 and 50/50) was not capable to improve cell proliferation or to enhance gene expression, and mineralized deposition of DPSC after 7 and 14 days as compared to the 100/0.Conclusion Except for flowability, the addition of PG did not promote further improvements on the chemical and physical properties evaluated, and it was not capable of enhancing the bioactivity of the MTA

SLITRK2, an X-linked modifier of the age at onset in C9orf72 frontotemporal lobar degeneration

The G4C2-repeat expansion in C9orf72 is the most common cause of frontotemporal dementia and of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The variability of age at onset and phenotypic presentations is a hallmark of C9orf72 disease. In this study, we aimed to identify modifying factors of disease onset in C9orf72 carriers using a family-based approach, in pairs of C9orf72 carrier relatives with concordant or discordant age at onset. Linkage and association analyses provided converging evidence for a locus on chromosome Xq27.3. The minor allele A of rs1009776 was associated with an earlier onset (P = 1 × 10-5). The association with onset of dementia was replicated in an independent cohort of unrelated C9orf72 patients (P = 0.009). The protective major allele delayed the onset of dementia from 5 to 13 years on average depending on the cohort considered. The same trend was observed in an independent cohort of C9orf72 patients with extreme deviation of the age at onset (P = 0.055). No association of rs1009776 was detected in GRN patients, suggesting that the effect of rs1009776 was restricted to the onset of dementia due to C9orf72. The minor allele A is associated with a higher SLITRK2 expression based on both expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) databases and in-house expression studies performed on C9orf72 brain tissues. SLITRK2 encodes for a post-synaptic adhesion protein. We further show that synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2 and synaptophysin, two synaptic vesicle proteins, were decreased in frontal cortex of C9orf72 patients carrying the minor allele. Upregulation of SLITRK2 might be associated with synaptic dysfunctions and drives adverse effects in C9orf72 patients that could be modulated in those carrying the protective allele. How the modulation of SLITRK2 expression affects synaptic functions and influences the disease onset of dementia in C9orf72 carriers will require further investigations. In summary, this study describes an original approach to detect modifier genes in rare diseases and reinforces rising links between C9orf72 and synaptic dysfunctions that might directly influence the occurrence of first symptoms