369 research outputs found
An investigation of susceptibility loci in benign, aggressive and primary progressive mutiple sclerosis in Northern Irish population
Approximate Deadline-Scheduling with Precedence Constraints
We consider the classic problem of scheduling a set of n jobs
non-preemptively on a single machine. Each job j has non-negative processing
time, weight, and deadline, and a feasible schedule needs to be consistent with
chain-like precedence constraints. The goal is to compute a feasible schedule
that minimizes the sum of penalties of late jobs. Lenstra and Rinnoy Kan
[Annals of Disc. Math., 1977] in their seminal work introduced this problem and
showed that it is strongly NP-hard, even when all processing times and weights
are 1. We study the approximability of the problem and our main result is an
O(log k)-approximation algorithm for instances with k distinct job deadlines
Partition functions and double-trace deformations in AdS/CFT
We study the effect of a relevant double-trace deformation on the partition
function (and conformal anomaly) of a CFT at large N and its dual picture in
AdS. Three complementary previous results are brought into full agreement with
each other: bulk and boundary computations, as well as their formal identity.
We show the exact equality between the dimensionally regularized partition
functions or, equivalently, fluctuational determinants involved. A series of
results then follows: (i) equality between the renormalized partition functions
for all d; (ii) for all even d, correction to the conformal anomaly; (iii) for
even d, the mapping entails a mixing of UV and IR effects on the same side
(bulk) of the duality, with no precedent in the leading order computations; and
finally, (iv) a subtle relation between overall coefficients, volume
renormalization and IR-UV connection. All in all, we get a clean test of the
AdS/CFT correspondence beyond the classical SUGRA approximation in the bulk and
at subleading O(1) order in the large-N expansion on the boundary.Comment: 18 pages, uses JHEP3.cls. Published JHEP versio
Subjective cues to deception/honesty in a high stakes situation: An exploratory approach
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in The Journal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied on 7/5/2014 available online: http://wwww.tandfonline.com/10.1080/00223980.2014.911140The low ecological validity of much of the research on deception detection is a limitation recognised by researchers in the field. Consequently, the present studies investigated subjective cues to deception using the real life, high stakes situation of people making public appeals for help with missing or murdered relatives. It was expected that cues related to affect would be particularly salient in this context. Study 1 was a qualitative investigation identifying cues to deception reportedly used by people accurate at detecting deception. Studies 2 and 3 were then empirical investigations which mainly employed the cues reported in Study 1. A number of subjective cues were found to discriminate between honest and deceptive appeals, including some previously unidentified cues, and cues likely to be context-specific. Most could be categorised under the themes of authenticity of emotion, and negative and positive affective reactions to the appealer. It is concluded that some cues to deception may emerge only in real life, high stakes situations; however, it is argued that some of these may be influenced by observersâ perceptions of the characteristics of offenders, rather than acts of deception per se.ESRC grant number ES/I90316X/
Finite Temperature Induced Fermion Number In The Nonlinear sigma Model In (2+1) Dimensions
We compute the finite temperature induced fermion number for fermions coupled
to a static nonlinear sigma model background in (2+1) dimensions, in the
derivative expansion limit. While the zero temperature induced fermion number
is well known to be topological (it is the winding number of the background),
at finite temperature there is a temperature dependent correction that is
nontopological -- this finite T correction is sensitive to the detailed shape
of the background. At low temperature we resum the derivative expansion to all
orders, and we consider explicit forms of the background as a CP^1 instanton or
as a baby skyrmion.Comment: 10 pp, revtex
Treatment Guidance for Patients With Lung Cancer During the Coronavirus 2019 Pandemic
The global coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic continues to escalate at a rapid pace inundating medical facilities and creating substantial challenges globally. The risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in patients with cancer seems to be higher, especially as they are more likely to present with an immunocompromised condition, either from cancer itself or from the treatments they receive. A major consideration in the delivery of cancer care during the pandemic is to balance the risk of patient exposure and infection with the need to provide effective cancer treatment. Many aspects of the SARS-CoV-2 infection currently remain poorly characterized and even less is known about the course of infection in the context of a patient with cancer. As SARS-CoV-2 is highly contagious, the risk of infection directly affects the cancer patient being treated, other cancer patients in close proximity, and health care providers. Infection at any level for patients or providers can cause considerable disruption to even the most effective treatment plans. Lung cancer patients, especially those with reduced lung function and cardiopulmonary comorbidities are more likely to have increased risk and mortality from coronavirus disease 2019 as one of its common manifestations is as an acute respiratory illness. The purpose of this manuscript is to present a practical multidisciplinary and international overview to assist in treatment for lung cancer patients during this pandemic, with the caveat that evidence is lacking in many areas. It is expected that firmer recommendations can be developed as more evidence becomes available
A global call for action to include gender in research impact assessment
Global investment in biomedical research has grown significantly over the last decades, reaching approximately a quarter of a trillion US dollars in 2010. However, not all of this investment is distributed evenly by gender. It follows, arguably, that scarce research resources may not be optimally invested (by either not supporting the best science or by failing to investigate topics that benefit women and men equitably). Women across the world tend to be significantly underrepresented in research both as researchers and research participants, receive less research funding, and appear less frequently than men as authors on research publications. There is also some evidence that women are relatively disadvantaged as the beneficiaries of research, in terms of its health, societal, and economic impacts. Historical gender biases may have created a path dependency that means that the research system and the impacts of research are biased towards male researchers and male beneficiaries, making it inherently difficult (though not impossible) to eliminate gender bias. In this commentary, we â a group of scholars and practitioners from Africa, America, Asia, and Europeâ argue that gender-sensitive research impact assessment could become a force for good in moving science policy and practice towards gender equity. Research impact assessment is the multidisciplinary field of scientific inquiry that examines the research process to maximise scientific, societal, and economic returns on investment in research. It encompasses many theoretical and methodological approaches that can be used to investigate gender bias and recommend actions for change to maximise research impact. We offer a set of recommendations to research funders, research institutions, and research evaluators who conduct impact assessment on how to include and strengthen analysis of gender equity in research impact assessment and issue a global call for action
Do Movement Patterns Differ Between Laboratory and Field Suction Feeding Behaviors in a Mexican Cichlid?
Evolutionary origins of the estrogen signaling system : insights from amphioxus
Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2011. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier B.V. for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 127 (2011): 176â188, doi:10.1016/j.jsbmb.2011.03.022.Classically, the estrogen signaling system has two core components: cytochrome P450
aromatase (CYP19), the enzyme complex that catalyzes the rate limiting step in estrogen
biosynthesis; and estrogen receptors (ERs), ligand activated transcription factors that interact
with the regulatory region of target genes to mediate the biological effects of estrogen. While the
importance of estrogens for regulation of reproduction, development and physiology has been
well-documented in gnathostome vertebrates, the evolutionary origins of estrogen as a hormone
are still unclear. As invertebrates within the phylum Chordata, cephalochordates (e.g. the
amphioxus of the genus Branchiostoma) are among the closest invertebrate relatives of the
vertebrates and can provide critical insight into the evolution of vertebrate-specific molecules
and pathways. To address this question, this paper briefly reviews relevant earlier studies that
help to illuminate the history of the aromatase and ER genes, with a particular emphasis on
insights from amphioxus and other invertebrates. We then present new analyses of amphioxus
aromatase and ER sequence and function, including an in silico model of the amphioxus
aromatase protein, and CYP19 gene analysis. CYP19 shares a conserved gene structure with
vertebrates (9 coding exons) and moderate sequence conservation (40% amino acid identity with
human CYP19). Modeling of the amphioxus aromatase substrate binding site and simulated
docking of androstenedione in comparison to the human aromatase shows that the substrate
binding site is conserved and predicts that androstenedione could be a substrate for amphioxus
CYP19. The amphioxus ER is structurally similar to vertebrate ERs, but differs in sequence and
key residues of the ligand binding domain. Consistent with results from other laboratories,
amphioxus ER did not bind radiolabeled estradiol, nor did it modulate gene expression on an estrogen-responsive element (ERE) in the presence 59 of estradiol, 4-hydroxytamoxifen,
diethylstilbestrol, bisphenol A or genistein. Interestingly, it has been shown that a related gene,
the amphioxus âsteroid receptorâ (SR), can be activated by estrogens and that amphioxus ER can
repress this activation. CYP19, ER and SR are all primarily expressed in gonadal tissue,
suggesting an ancient paracrine/autocrinesignaling role, but it is not yet known how their
expression is regulated and, if estrogen is actually synthesized in amphioxus, whether it has a
role in mediating any biological effects . Functional studies are clearly needed to link emerging
bioinformatics and in vitro molecular biology results with organismal physiology to develop an
understanding of the evolution of estrogen signaling.Supported by grants from the NIEHS P42 ES07381 (GVC, SV) and EPA (STAR-RD831301)
(GVC), a Ruth L Kirschstein National Research Service Award (AT, F32 ES013092-01), an NIH
traineeship (SS, SG), a NATO Fellowship (AN) and the Boston University Undergraduate
Research Program (LC)
The British Army, information management and the First World War revolution in military affairs
Information Management (IM) â the systematic ordering, processing and channelling of information within organisations â forms a critical component of modern military command and control systems. As a subject of scholarly enquiry, however, the history of military IM has been relatively poorly served. Employing new
and under-utilised archival sources, this article takes the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) of the First World War as its case study and assesses the extent to which its IM system contributed to the emergence of the modern battlefield in 1918. It argues that the
demands of fighting a modern war resulted in a general, but not universal, improvement in the BEFâs IM techniques, which in turn laid the groundwork, albeit in embryonic form, for the IM systems of modern armies.
KEY WORDS: British Army, Information Management, First World War, Revolution in Military Affairs, Adaptatio
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