169 research outputs found
Self-similar Bianchi type VIII and IX models
It is shown that in transitively self-similar spatially homogeneous tilted
perfect fluid models the symmetry vector is not normal to the surfaces of
spatial homogeneity. A direct consequence of this result is that there are no
self-similar Bianchi VIII and IX tilted perfect fluid models. Furthermore the
most general Bianchi VIII and IX spacetime which admit a four dimensional group
of homotheties is given.Comment: 5 pages, Latex; One reference and minor clarifications added. To
appear in General Relativity and Gravitatio
Self-similar Bianchi models: I. Class A models
We present a study of Bianchi class A tilted cosmological models admitting a
proper homothetic vector field together with the restrictions, both at the
geometrical and dynamical level, imposed by the existence of the simply
transitive similarity group. The general solution of the symmetry equations and
the form of the homothetic vector field are given in terms of a set of
arbitrary integration constants. We apply the geometrical results for tilted
perfect fluids sources and give the general Bianchi II self-similar solution
and the form of the similarity vector field. In addition we show that
self-similar perfect fluid Bianchi VII models and irrotational Bianchi
VI models do not exist.Comment: 14 pages, Latex; to appear in Classical and Quantum Gravit
Deregulation of methylation of transcribed-ultra conserved regions in colorectal cancer and their value for detection of adenomas and adenocarcinomas
Expression of Transcribed Ultraconserved Regions (T-UCRs) is often deregulated in cancer. The present study assesses the expression and methylation of three T-UCRs (Uc160, Uc283 and Uc346) in colorectal cancer (CRC) and explores the potential of T-UCR methylation in circulating DNA for the detection of adenomas and adenocarcinomas. Expression levels of Uc160, Uc283 and Uc346 were lower in neoplastic tissues from 64 CRC patients (statistically significant for Uc160, p<0.001), compared to non-malignant tissues, while methylation levels displayed the inverse pattern (p<0.001, p=0.001 and p=0.004 respectively). In colon cancer cell lines, overexpression of Uc160 and Uc346 led to increased proliferation and migration rates. Methylation levels of Uc160 in plasma of 50 CRC, 59 adenoma patients, 40 healthy subjects and 12 patients with colon inflammation or diverticulosis predicted the presence of CRC with 35% sensitivity and 89% specificity (p=0.016), while methylation levels of the combination of all three T-UCRs resulted in 45% sensitivity and 74.3% specificity (p=0.013). In conclusion, studied T-UCRs’ expression and methylation status are deregulated in CRC while Uc160 and Uc346 appear to have a complicated role in CRC progression. Moreover their methylation status appears a promising non-invasive screening test for CRC, provided that the sensitivity of the assay is improved
Killing Tensors and Conformal Killing Tensors from Conformal Killing Vectors
Koutras has proposed some methods to construct reducible proper conformal
Killing tensors and Killing tensors (which are, in general, irreducible) when a
pair of orthogonal conformal Killing vectors exist in a given space. We give
the completely general result demonstrating that this severe restriction of
orthogonality is unnecessary. In addition we correct and extend some results
concerning Killing tensors constructed from a single conformal Killing vector.
A number of examples demonstrate how it is possible to construct a much larger
class of reducible proper conformal Killing tensors and Killing tensors than
permitted by the Koutras algorithms. In particular, by showing that all
conformal Killing tensors are reducible in conformally flat spaces, we have a
method of constructing all conformal Killing tensors (including all the Killing
tensors which will in general be irreducible) of conformally flat spaces using
their conformal Killing vectors.Comment: 18 pages References added. Comments and reference to 2-dim case.
Typos correcte
Self-Similarity in General Relativity \endtitle
The different kinds of self-similarity in general relativity are discussed,
with special emphasis on similarity of the ``first'' kind, corresponding to
spacetimes admitting a homothetic vector. We then survey the various classes of
self-similar solutions to Einstein's field equations and the different
mathematical approaches used in studying them. We focus mainly on spatially
homogenous and spherically symmetric self-similar solutions, emphasizing their
possible roles as asymptotic states for more general models. Perfect fluid
spherically symmetric similarity solutions have recently been completely
classified, and we discuss various astrophysical and cosmological applications
of such solutions. Finally we consider more general types of self-similar
models.Comment: TeX document, 53 page
I-Support: A robotic platform of an assistive bathing robot for the elderly population
In this paper we present a prototype integrated robotic system, the I-Support bathing robot, that aims at supporting new aspects of assisted daily-living activities on a real-life scenario. The paper focuses on describing and evaluating key novel technological features of the system, with the emphasis on cognitive human–robot interaction modules and their evaluation through a series of clinical validation studies. The I-Support project on its whole has envisioned the development of an innovative, modular, ICT-supported service robotic system that assists frail seniors to safely and independently complete an entire sequence of physically and cognitively demanding bathing tasks, such as properly washing their back and their lower limbs. A variety of innovative technologies have been researched and a set of advanced modules of sensing, cognition, actuation and control have been developed and seamlessly integrated to enable the system to adapt to the target population abilities. These technologies include: human activity monitoring and recognition, adaptation of a motorized chair for safe transfer of the elderly in and out the bathing cabin, a context awareness system that provides full environmental awareness, as well as a prototype soft robotic arm and a set of user-adaptive robot motion planning and control algorithms. This paper focuses in particular on the multimodal action recognition system, developed to monitor, analyze and predict user actions with a high level of accuracy and detail in real-time, which are then interpreted as robotic tasks. In the same framework, the analysis of human actions that have become available through the project’s multimodal audio–gestural dataset, has led to the successful modeling of Human–Robot Communication, achieving an effective and natural interaction between users and the assistive robotic platform. In order to evaluate the I-Support system, two multinational validation studies were conducted under realistic operating conditions in two clinical pilot sites. Some of the findings of these studies are presented and analyzed in the paper, showing good results in terms of: (i) high acceptability regarding the system usability by this particularly challenging target group, the elderly end-users, and (ii) overall task effectiveness of the system in different operating modes
Nonvanishing Local Scalar Invariants even in VSI Spacetimes with all Polynomial Curvature Scalar Invariants Vanishing
VSI (`vanishing scalar invariant') spacetimes have zero values for all total
scalar contractions of all polynomials in the Riemann tensor and its covariant
derivatives. However, there are other ways of concocting local scalar
invariants (nonpolynomial) from the Riemann tensor that need not vanish even in
VSI spacetimes, such as Cartan invariants. Simple examples are given that
reduce to the squared amplitude for a linearized monochromatic plane
gravitational wave. These nonpolynomial local scalar invariants are also
evaluated for non-VSI spacetimes such as Schwarzschild and Kerr and are
estimated near the surface of the earth. Similar invariants are defined for
null fluids and for electromagnetic fields.Comment: 9 pages, LaTeX, proofread version accepted 2009 January 14 for
publication in Classical and Quantum Gravit
Systematic Chemical Mutagenesis Identifies a Potent Novel Apratoxin A/E Hybrid with Improved in Vivo Antitumor Activity
Automated office blood pressure measurements in primary care are misleading in more than one third of treated hypertensives: The VALENTINE-Greece Home Blood Pressure Monitoring study
Abstract Background This study assessed the diagnostic reliability of automated office blood pressure (OBP) measurements in treated hypertensive patients in primary care by evaluating the prevalence of white coat hypertension (WCH) and masked uncontrolled hypertension (MUCH) phenomena. Methods Primary care physicians, nationwide in Greece, assessed consecutive hypertensive patients on stable treatment using OBP (1 visit, triplicate measurements) and home blood pressure (HBP) measurements (7 days, duplicate morning and evening measurements). All measurements were performed using validated automated devices with bluetooth capacity (Omron M7 Intelli-IT). Uncontrolled OBP was defined as ≥140/90 mmHg, and uncontrolled HBP was defined as ≥135/85 mmHg. Results A total of 790 patients recruited by 135 doctors were analyzed (age: 64.5 ± 14.4 years, diabetics: 21.4%, smokers: 20.6%, and average number of antihypertensive drugs: 1.6 ± 0.8). OBP (137.5 ± 9.4/84.3 ± 7.7 mmHg, systolic/diastolic) was higher than HBP (130.6 ± 11.2/79.9 ± 8 mmHg; difference 6.9 ± 11.6/4.4 ± 7.6 mmHg, p Conclusions In primary care, automated OBP measurements are misleading in approximately 40% of treated hypertensive patients. HBP monitoring is mandatory to avoid overtreatment of subjects with WCH phenomenon and prevent undertreatment and subsequent excess cardiovascular disease in MUCH
Retrospective exploratory analysis of VEGF polymorphisms in the prediction of benefit from first-line FOLFIRI plus bevacizumab in metastatic colorectal cancer
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Molecular predictors of bevacizumab efficacy in colorectal cancer have not been identified yet. Specific <it>VEGF </it>polymorphisms may affect gene transcription and therefore indirectly influence the efficacy of bevacizumab.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Genomic DNA of 111 consecutive metastatic colorectal cancer patients treated with first-line FOLFIRI plus bevacizumab was obtained from blood samples. <it>VEGF </it>-2578 C/A, -1498 C/T, + 405 C/G, + 936 C/T polymorphisms were analyzed by means of PCR-RFLP. DNA samples from 107 patients treated with FOLFIRI alone served as historical control group. The relation of <it>VEGF </it>polymorphisms with PFS, evaluated through Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test, was the primary end-point. An interaction test with a Cox model has been performed in order to demonstrate the heterogeneity of the effect of <it>VEGF </it>-1498 C/T polymorphism between bevacizumab-and control group.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In the bevacizumab-group median PFS and OS of patients carrying <it>VEGF </it>-1498 C/C, C/T and T/T allelic variants were, respectively, 12.8, 10.5, 7.5 months (p = 0.0046, log-rank test) and 27.3, 20.5, 18.6 months (p = 0.038, log-rank test). <it>VEGF </it>-1498 T/T genotype was associated with shorter PFS (HR = 2.13, [1.41-5.10], p = 0.0027). In the control group no significant association of <it>VEGF </it>-1498 C/T allelic variants and PFS or OS was found. Interaction between <it>VEGF </it>-1498 C/T variants and treatment effect suggested that the relation of <it>VEGF </it>-1498 T/T genotype with shorter PFS was caused by the effect of bevacizumab (p = 0.011). Other investigated polymorphisms did not affect the outcome.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These data suggest a possible role for <it>VEGF </it>-1498 C/T variants in predicting the efficacy of bevacizumab in the up-front treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer patients. A molecular tool for selecting subjects candidate to benefit from the anti-VEGF could be important for clinical practice. The retrospective and exploratory design of the present study, coupled with the non-randomized nature of the comparison between treated and untreated patients, imply that these results should be considered as hypothesis generators. A prospective validating trial is currently ongoing.</p
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