A Riemann-Roch-Hirzebruch formula for traces of differential operators

Let D be a holomorphic differential operator acting on sections of a holomorphic vector bundle on an n-dimensional compact complex manifold. We prove a formula, conjectured by Feigin and Shoikhet, for the Lefschetz number of D as the integral over the manifold of a differential form. The class of this differential form is obtained via formal differential geometry from the canonical generator of the Hochschild cohomology of the algebra of differential operators in a formal neighbourhood of a point. If D is the identity, the formula reduces to the Riemann--Roch--Hirzebruch formula.Comment: 31 pages, 1 figure. Misprints corrected and appendix with analytical details added in v

Binnendifferenzierte Sachtexte als Unterstützung für den Erwerb von domänenspezifischen Wissensbeständen und Konzepten: Executive Summary

Les textes dans les livres d’école sont souvent trop difficiles même pour des élèves de niveau moyen. Pour des apprenants plus faibles et des enfants pour qui l’allemand est une langue seconde, ces textes sont trop exigeants sur le plan linguistique. La mise à disposition de textes de niveaux différenciés est dès lors une nécessité pour une école inclusive.Texts in the social sciences at schools are often difficult even for children with average scholastic abilities; weak learners or children who speak German as a second language are over-challenged. Consequently, internally differentiated texts – i.e. different versions of the same content – are necessary to create an inclusive learning environment.Sachtexte in Schulbüchern sind oft selbst für durchschnittlich begabte Kinder zu schwer; für schwächere Lernende und für Kinder mit Deutsch als Zweitsprache sind sie sprachlich überfordernd. Binnendifferenzierte Sachtexte sind deshalb eine Notwendigkeit für eine inklusive Schule.I testi contenuti nei libri scolastici sono spesso troppo difficili persino per gli allievi di livello medio; per gli studenti più deboli e per i bambini per i quali il tedesco è una seconda lingua, questi testi sono troppo esigenti dal punto di vista linguistico. L’offerta di testi che variano dal punto di vista della difficoltà di lettura diventa perciò una necessità per una scuola inclusiva.Il project „Texts tematics differenziads a l’intern sco med per sustegnair l’acquisiziun dal savair e da concepts da domenas specificas“ sa basa sin la constataziun che meds d’instruir e d‘emprender (ed ils texts tematics cuntegnids en quels) stattan anc adina en il center da l’instrucziun, ma na satisfan betg a las pretensiuns per in’instrucziun individualisanta. Questa constataziun stat en connex cun las exigenzas ad ina scola inclusiva ed a las consequenzas organisatoricas da la differenziaziun interna

Diverging against all odds? Regulatory Paths in Embryonic Stem Cell Research across Western Europe

An interest-driven account of Embryonic Stem Cell Research would, given the considerable financial and scientific concerns, likely predict regulations to converge towards permissive policies. However, across Western Europe, national regulations of embryonic stem-cell research vary considerably, from general bans to permissive policies. There is a lack of systematic accounting for the non-convergence, and the sparse attempts at explanation are contradictory. Drawing on qualitative comparative analysis and configurational causality, we assess the interaction of a number of explanatory factors. Our empirical analysis reveals the importance of one factor in particular, path-dependence, insofar as prior policies on assisted reproduction exert a strong and systematic effect on the subsequent regulation of ESCR

When Doctors Shape Policy: The Impact of Self-Regulation on Governing Human Biotechnology

This paper investigates the development and adoption of governance modes in the field of human biotechnology. As the field of human biotechnology is relatively new, voluntary professional self-regulation constituted the initial governing mode. In the meantime, with the exception of Ireland, all Western European countries have moved towards greater state intervention. Nevertheless they have done so in contrasting ways and the resulting governance modes for assisted reproductive technology (ART) and embryonic stem-cell research vary greatly. Instead of imposing their steering capacity in a ‘top-down’ fashion, governments have taken pre-existing self-regulatory arrangements in the field into account and built up governance mechanisms in conjunction with private actors and pre-existing modes of private governance. Our analysis demonstrates that the form and content of the initial self-regulation explain why the self-steering capacity of the medical profession was largely or at least partially preserved through hybrid governance systems in Britain and in Germany, while in France the self-regulation was entirely replaced by governmental intervention

Human NK Cell Subset Functions Are Differentially Affected by Adipokines

Background: Obesity is a risk factor for various types of infectious diseases and cancer. The increase in adipose tissue causes alterations in both adipogenesis and the production of adipocyte-secreted proteins (adipokines). Since natural killer (NK) cells are the host’s primary defense against virus-infected and tumor cells, we investigated how adipocyte-conditioned medium (ACM) affects functions of two distinct human NK cell subsets. Methods: Isolated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were cultured with various concentrations of human and murine ACM harvested on two different days during adipogenesis and analyzed by fluorescent-activated cell sorting (FACS). Results: FACS analyses showed that the expression of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), granzyme A (GzmA) and interferon (IFN)-γ in NK cells was regulated in a subset-specific manner. ACM treatment altered IFN-γ expression in CD56dim NK cells. The production of GzmA in CD56bright NK cells was differentially affected by the distinct adipokine compositions harvested at different states of adipogenesis. Comparison of the treatment with either human or murine ACM revealed that adipokine-induced effects on NK cell expression of the leptin receptor (Ob-R), TRAIL and IFN-γ were species-specific. Conclusion: Considering the growing prevalence of obesity and the various disorders related to it, the present study provides further insights into the roles human NK cell subsets play in the obesity-associated state of chronic low-grade inflammation

SESAM and TXL Results for Wilson Action--A Status Report

Results from two studies of full QCD with two flavours of dynamical Wilson fermions are presented. At beta=5.6, the region 0.83 > m_pi/m_rho > 0.56 at m_pia > 0.23 L^{-1} is explored. The SESAM collaboration has generated ensembles of about 200 statistically independent configurations on a 16^3 x 32-lattice at three different kappa-values and is entering the final phase of data analysis. The TXL simulation on a 24^3 x 40-lattice at two kappa-values has reached half statistics and data analysis has started recently, hence most results presented here are preliminary. The focus of this report is fourfold: we demonstrate that algorithmic improvements like fast Krylov solvers and parallel preconditioning recently introduced can be put into practise in full QCD simulations, we present encouraging observations as to the critical dynamics of the Hybrid Monte Carlo algorithm in the approach to the chiral limit, we mention signal improvements of noisy estimator techniques for disconnected diagrams to the pi-N sigma term, and we report on SESAM's results for light hadron spectrum, light quark masses, and heavy quarkonia.Comment: 24 pages, tex + postscript figures, to appear in Proceedings of Int. Workshop "Lattice QCD on Parallel Computers", University of Tsukuba, Japa

A variant of the Mukai pairing via deformation quantization

We give a new method to prove a formula computing a variant of Caldararu's Mukai pairing \cite{Cal1}. Our method is based on some important results in the area of deformation quantization. In particular, part of the work of Kashiwara and Schapira in \cite{KS} as well as an algebraic index theorem of Bressler, Nest and Tsygan in \cite{BNT},\cite{BNT1} and \cite{BNT2} are used. It is hoped that our method is useful for generalization to settings involving certain singular varieties.Comment: 8 pages. Comments and suggestions welcom

Cannabis sativa and the endogenous cannabinoid system: therapeutic potential for appetite regulation

The herb Cannabis sativa (C. sativa) has been used in China and on the Indian subcontinent for thousands of years as a medicine. However, since it was brought to the UK and then the rest of the western world in the late 19th century, its use has been a source of controversy. Indeed, its psychotropic side effects are well reported but only relatively recently has scientific endeavour begun to find valuable uses for either the whole plant or its individual components. Here, we discuss evidence describing the endocannabinoid system, its endogenous and exogenous ligands and their varied effects on feeding cycles and meal patterns. Furthermore we also critically consider the mounting evidence which suggests non‐tetrahydrocannabinol phytocannabinoids play a vital role in C. sativa‐induced feeding pattern changes. Indeed, given the wide range of phytocannabinoids present in C. sativa and their equally wide range of intra‐, inter‐ and extra‐cellular mechanisms of action, we demonstrate that non‐Δ9tetrahydrocannabinol phytocannabinoids retain an important and, as yet, untapped clinical potential