On the special values of certain L-series related to half-integral weight modular forms

Let h be a cuspidal Hecke eigenform of half-integral weight, and En/2+1/2 be Cohen’s Eisenstein series of weight n/2+1/2. For a Dirichlet character χ we define a certain linear combination R(χ)(s, h,En/+1/2) of the Rankin-Selberg convolution products of h and En/2+1/2 twisted by Dirichlet characters related with χ. We then prove a certain algebraicity result for R(χ)(l, h,En/2+1/2) with l integers

Eisenstein Congruences for SO(4, 3), SO(4, 4), Spinor, and Triple Product L-values

We work out instances of a general conjecture on congruences between Hecke eigenvalues of induced and cuspidal automorphic representations of a reductive group, modulo divisors of certain critical L-values, in the case that the group is a split orthogonal group. We provide some numerical evidence in the case that the group is SO(4, 3) and the L-function is the spinor L-function of a genus 2, vector-valued, Siegel cusp form. We also consider the case that the group is SO(4, 4) and the L-function is a triple product L-function

DNA-Sequence Variation Among Schistosoma mekongi Populations and Related Taxa; Phylogeography and the Current Distribution of Asian Schistosomiasis

Schistosomiasis is a disease caused by parasitic worms of the genus Schistosoma. In the lower Mekong river, schistosomiasis in humans is called Mekong schistosomiasis and is caused by Schistosoma mekongi. In the past, Mekong schistosomiasis was known only from the lower Mekong river. Here DNA-sequence variation is used to study the relationships and history of populations of S. mekongi. Populations from other rivers are compared and shown to be S. mekongi, thus confirming that this species is not restricted to only a small section of one river. The dates of divergence among populations are also estimated. Prior to this study it was assumed that S. mekongi originated in Yunnan, China, migrated southwards across Laos and into Cambodia, later becoming extinct in Laos (due to conditions unsuitable for transmission). In contrast, the dates estimated here indicate that S. mekongi entered Cambodia from Vietnam, 2.5–1 Ma. The pattern of genetic variation fits better with a more recent, and ongoing, northwards migration from Cambodia into Laos. The implications are that Mekong schistosomiasis is more widespread than once thought and that the human population at risk is up to 10 times greater than originally estimated. There is also an increased possibility of the spread of Mekong schistosomiasis across Laos

Tailoring pharmacotherapy to specific eating behaviours in obesity: Can recommendations for personalised therapy be made from the current data?

Pharmacotherapy provides an adjunct to behaviour modification in the management of obesity. There are a number of new drug therapies purportedly targeting appetite; liraglutide, and bupropion/naltrexone, which are European Medicines Agency and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved, and lorcaserin and phentermine/topiramate, which have FDA approval only. Each of the six drugs, used singly or in combination, has distinct pharmacological, and presumably distinct behavioural, mechanisms of action, thus the potential to provide defined therapeutic options to personalise the management of obesity. Yet, with regard to pharmacotherapy for obesity, we are far from true personalised medicine. We review the limited mechanistic data with four mono and combination pharmacotherapies, to assess the potential for tailoring their use to target specific obesogenic behaviours. Potential treatment options are considered, but in the absence of adequate research in respect to effects of these drugs on eating behaviour, neural activity and psychological substrates that underlie poorly controlled eating, we are far from definitive therapeutic recommendations. Specific mechanistic studies and broader behavioural phenotyping, possibly in conjunction with pharmacogenetic research, are required to characterise responders for distinct pharmacotherapeutic options