545 research outputs found
4q32-q35 and 6q16-q22 are valuable candidate regions for split hand/foot malformation
On the basis of the Human Cytogenetic Database, a computerized catalog of the clinical phenotypes associated with cytogenetically detectable human chromosome aberrations, we collected from the literature 102 cases with chromosomal aberrations and split hand/foot malformation or absent fingers/toes. Statistical analysis revealed a highly significant association (P<0.001) between the malformation and the chromosomal bands 4q32-q35, 5q15, 6q16-q22 and 7q11.2-q22 (SHFM1). Considering these findings, we suggest additional SHFM loci on chromosome 4q, 6q and probably 5q. The regions 4q and 6q have already been discussed in the literature as additional SHFM loci. We now show further evidence. In the proposed regions, there are interesting candidate genes such as, on 4q: HAND2, FGF2, LEF1 and BMPR1B; on 5q: MSX2, FLT4, PTX1 and PDLIM7; and on 6q: SNX3, GJA1, HEY2 and Tbx18.European Journal of Human Genetics advance online publication, 18 February 2009; doi:10.1038/ejhg.2009.11
The homotopy theory of simplicial props
The category of (colored) props is an enhancement of the category of colored
operads, and thus of the category of small categories. In this paper, the
second in a series on "higher props," we show that the category of all small
colored simplicial props admits a cofibrantly generated model category
structure. With this model structure, the forgetful functor from props to
operads is a right Quillen functor.Comment: Final version, to appear in Israel J. Mat
Nucleon-nucleon interaction in the -matrix inverse scattering approach and few-nucleon systems
The nucleon-nucleon interaction is constructed by means of the -matrix
version of inverse scattering theory. Ambiguities of the interaction are
eliminated by postulating tridiagonal and quasi-tridiagonal forms of the
potential matrix in the oscillator basis in uncoupled and coupled waves,
respectively. The obtained interaction is very accurate in reproducing the
scattering data and deuteron properties. The interaction is used in the no-core
shell model calculations of H and He nuclei. The resulting binding
energies of H and He are very close to experimental values.Comment: Text is revised, new figures and references adde
Electromagnetic Meson Form Factors in the Salpeter Model
We present a covariant scheme to calculate mesonic transitions in the
framework of the Salpeter equation for -states. The full Bethe
Salpeter amplitudes are reconstructed from equal time amplitudes which were
obtained in a previous paper\cite{Mue} by solving the Salpeter equation for a
confining plus an instanton induced interaction. This method is applied to
calculate electromagnetic form factors and decay widths of low lying
pseudoscalar and vector mesons including predictions for CEBAF experiments. We
also describe the momentum transfer dependence for the processes
.Comment: 22 pages including 10 figure
Functional Lagrange formalism for time-non-local Lagrangians
We develop a time-non-local (TNL) formalism based on variational calculus,
which allows for the analysis of TNL Lagrangians. We derive the generalized
Euler-Lagrange equations starting from the Hamilton's principle and, by
defining a generalized momentum, we introduce the corresponding Hamiltonian
formalism. We apply the formalism to second order TNL Lagrangians and we show
that it reproduces standard results in the time-local limit. An example will
show how the formalism works, and will provide an interesting insight on the
non-standard features of TNL equations.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figure
Long-term effects of treatment and response in patients with chronic hepatitis C on quality of life. An international, multicenter, randomized, controlled study
Background: Hepatitis C decreases health related quality of life (HRQL) which is further diminished by antiviral therapy. HRQL improves after successful treatment. This trial explores the course of and factors associated with HRQL in patients given individualized or standard treatment based on early treatment response (Ditto-study).
Methods: The Short Form (SF)-36 Health Survey was administered at baseline (n = 192) and 24 weeks after the end of therapy (n = 128).
Results: At baseline HRQL was influenced by age, participating center, severity of liver disease and income. Exploring the course of HRQL (scores at follow up minus baseline), only the dimension general health increased. In this dimension patients with a relapse or sustained response differed from non-responders. Men and women differed in the dimension bodily pain. Treatment schedule did not influence the course of HRQL.
Conclusions: Main determinants of HRQL were severity of liver disease, age, gender, participating center and response to treatment. Our results do not exclude a more profound negative impact of individualized treatment compared to standard, possibly caused by higher doses and extended treatment duration in the individualized group. Antiviral therapy might have a more intense and more prolonged negative impact on females
On isovector meson exchange currents in the Bethe-Salpeter approach
We investigate the nonrelativistic reduction of the Bethe-Salpeter amplitude
for the deuteron electrodisintegration near threshold energies. To this end,
two assumptions have been used in the calculations: 1) the static approximation
and 2) the one iteration approximation. Within these assumptions it is possible
to recover the nonrelativistic result including a systematic extension to
relativistic corrections. We find that the so-called pair current term can be
constructed from the -wave contribution of the deuteron Bethe-Salpeter
amplitude. The form factor that enters into the calculation of the pair current
is constrained by the manifestly gauge independent matrix elements.Comment: 15 pages, incl. 3 figures, to be published Phys. Rev.
A further study of the possible scaling region of lattice chiral fermions
In the possible scaling region for an SU(2) lattice chiral fermion advocated
in {\it Nucl. Phys.} B486 (1997) 282, no hard spontaneous symmetry breaking
occurs and doublers are gauge-invariantly decoupled via mixing with composite
three-fermion-states that are formed by local multifermion interactions.
However the strong coupling expansion breaks down due to no ``static limit''
for the low-energy limit (). In both neutral and charged channels, we
further analyze relevant truncated Green functions of three-fermion-operators
by the strong coupling expansion and analytical continuation of these Green
functions in the momentum space. It is shown that in the low-energy limit,
these relevant truncated Green functions of three-fermion-states with the
``wrong'' chiralities positively vanish due to the generalized form factors
(the wave-function renormalizations) of these composite three-fermion-states
vanishing as O((pa)^4) for . This strongly implies that the composite
three-fermion-states with ``wrong'' chirality are ``decoupled'' in this limit
and the low-energy spectrum is chiral, as a consequence, chiral gauge
symmetries can be exactly preserved.Comment: A few typing-errors, in particular in Eq.50, have been correcte
Evaluation of Needle Exchange Programs
Needle exchange programs exist in every major population area in the United States and in many other countries. Some operate legally under emergency health decrees issued by local departments of health, with the stated intention of risk reduction through the removal of used injection equipment from use by injection drug users. It is theorized that this results in a reduced transmission of human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis, and, possibly, other blood-borne diseases. Needle exchange programs also offer access to drug treatment programs for the participants. It is a difficult but necessary task to evaluate these programs. This article examines examples of evaluations attempted in the past and discusses the challenges of such evaluations. Experimental evaluations, economic program analysis, legal aspects, and risk–benefit assessment along with ethical aspects are considered. An outline of program evaluation is proposed. Needle exchange programs offer an opportunity to encourage risk reduction and to offer counseling and access to health care for individuals at high risk. It is essential that such programs demonstrate their effectiveness. Assumptions of efficacy are insufficient for health care in the twenty-first century
Effective Field Theory of Heavy Mesons
In this paper we present a detailed formulation for a recently proposed
effective field theory to describe the nonperturbative QCD dynamics of heavy
mesons. This effective theory incorporates with heavy quark symmetry (HQS) and
the heavy quark effective theory (HQET). Heavy mesons in this theory are
constructed as composite particles of a heavy quark bounded with the light
degrees of freedom. The heavy meson properties in the heavy quark limit and the
corrections can then be explicitly evaluated from this effective
theory. All the basic parameters of the HQET, namely, the heavy quark mass
, the heavy meson residual mass , and the HQS breaking
mass parameters and , are consistently determined.
is found to be small due to a large cancellation between the heavy
quark kinetic energy and the chromo-electric interaction between the heavy
quark and light degrees of freedom. We also evaluate the Isgur-Wise function,
the decay constant, and the axial-vector coupling constant of heavy mesons.Comment: 33 pages, 4 figure
- …