415 research outputs found
Tame majorant analyticity for the Birkhoff map of the defocusing nonlinear Schr\uf6dinger equation on the circle
For the defocusing nonlinear Schr\uf6 dinger equation on the circle, we construct a Birkhoff map \u3a6 which is tame majorant analytic in a neighborhood of the origin. Roughly speaking, majorant analytic means that replacing the coefficients of the Taylor expansion of \u3a6 by their absolute values gives rise to a series (the majorant map) which is uniformly and absolutely convergent, at least in a small neighborhood. Tame majorant analytic means that the majorant map of \u3a6 fulfills tame estimates. The proof is based on a new tame version of the Kuksin-Perelman theorem (2010 Discrete Contin. Dyn. Syst. 1 1-24), which is an infinite dimensional Vey type theorem
Synthesis, Characterization, Fluorescence Properties, and DFT Modeling of Difluoroboron Biindolediketonates
We report a simple and efficient strategy to enhance the fluorescence of biocompatible biindole diketonates (bdks) in the visible spectrum through difluoroboronation (BF2bdks complexes). Emission spectroscopy testifies an increase in the fluorescence quantum yields from a few percent to as much as >0.7. This massive increment is essentially independent of substitutions at the indole (-H, -Cl, and -OCH3) and corresponds to a significant stabilization of the excited state with respect to non-radiative decay mechanisms: the non-radiative decay rates are reduced by as much as an order of magnitude, from 109 s−1 to 108 s−1, upon difluoroboronation. The stabilization of the excited state is large enough to enable sizeable 1O2 photosensitized production. Different time-dependent (TD) density functional theory (DFT) methods were assessed in their ability to model the electronic properties of the compounds, with TD-B3LYP-D3 providing the most accurate excitation energies. The calculations associate the first active optical transition in both the bdks and BF2bdks electronic spectra to the S0 → S1 transition, corresponding to a shift in the electronic density from the indoles to the oxygens or the O-BF2-O unit, respectively
HECT E3 Ligases : a Tale With Multiple Facets
Ubiquitination plays a pivotal role in several cellular processes and is critical for protein degradation and signaling. E3 ubiquitin ligases are the matchmakers in the ubiquitination cascade, responsible for substrate recognition. In order to achieve selectivity and specificity on their substrates, HECT E3 enzymes are tightly regulated and exert their function in a spatially and temporally controlled fashion in the cells. These characteristics made HECT E3s intriguing targets in drug discovery in the context of cancer biology
Effect of fixed-dose subcutaneous reslizumab on asthma exacerbations in patients with severe uncontrolled asthma and corticosteroid sparing in patients with oral corticosteroid-dependent asthma : results from two phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials
BACKGROUND:
Reslizumab 3 mg/kg administered intravenously is approved for the treatment of severe eosinophilic asthma. We assessed the safety and efficacy of subcutaneous reslizumab 110 mg in two trials in patients with uncontrolled severe asthma and increased blood eosinophils. The aim was to establish whether subcutaneous reslizumab 110 mg can reduce exacerbation rates in these patients (study 1) or reduce maintenance oral corticosteroid dose in patients with corticosteroid-dependent asthma (study 2).
METHODS:
Both studies were randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 studies. Entry criteria for study 1 were uncontrolled severe asthma, two or more asthma exacerbations in the previous year, a blood eosinophil count of 300 cells per μL or more (including no more than 30% patients with an eosinophil count <400 cells/μL), and at least a medium dose of inhaled corticosteroids with one or more additional asthma controllers. Patients in study 2 had severe asthma, a blood eosinophil count of 300 cells per μL or more, daily maintenance oral corticosteroid (prednisone 5-40 mg, or equivalent), and high-dose inhaled corticosteroids plus another controller. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to subcutaneous reslizumab (110 mg) or placebo once every 4 weeks for 52 weeks in study 1 and 24 weeks in study 2. Patients and investigators were masked to treatment assignment. Primary efficacy outcomes were frequency of exacerbations during 52 weeks in study 1 and categorised percentage reduction in daily oral corticosteroid dose from baseline to weeks 20-24 in study 2. Primary efficacy analyses were by intention to treat, and safety analyses included all patients who received at least one dose of study treatment. These studies are registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02452190 (study 1) and NCT02501629 (study 2).
FINDINGS:
Between Aug 12, 2015, and Jan 31, 2018, 468 patients in study 1 were randomly assigned to placebo (n=232) or subcutaneous reslizumab (n=236), and 177 in study 2 to placebo (n=89) or subcutaneous reslizumab (n=88). In study 1, we found no significant difference in the exacerbation rate between reslizumab and placebo in the intention-to-treat population (rate ratio 0·79, 95% CI 0·56-1·12; p=0·19). Subcutaneous reslizumab reduced exacerbation frequency compared with placebo in the subgroup of patients with blood eosinophil counts of 400 cells per μL or more (0·64, 95% CI 0·43-0·95). Greater reductions in annual exacerbation risk (p=0·0035) and longer time to first exacerbation were observed for patients with higher trough serum reslizumab concentrations. In study 2, we found no difference between placebo and fixed-dose subcutaneous reslizumab in categorised percentage reduction in daily oral corticosteroid dose (odds ratio for a lower category of oral corticosteroid use in the reslizumab group vs the placebo group, 1·23, 95% CI 0·70-2·16; p=0·47). The frequency of adverse events and serious adverse events with reslizumab were similar to those with placebo in both studies.
INTERPRETATION:
Fixed-dose (110 mg) subcutaneous reslizumab was not effective in reducing exacerbation frequency in patients with uncontrolled asthma and increased blood eosinophils (≥300 cells/μL), or in reducing the daily maintenance oral corticosteroid dose in patients with oral corticosteroid-dependent severe eosinophilic asthma. Higher exposures than those observed with 110 mg subcutaneous reslizumab are required to achieve maximal efficacy.
FUNDING:
Teva Branded Pharmaceutical Products R&D
Quantum Poincar\'e Recurrences
We show that quantum effects modify the decay rate of Poincar\'e recurrences
P(t) in classical chaotic systems with hierarchical structure of phase space.
The exponent p of the algebraic decay P(t) ~ 1/t^p is shown to have the
universal value p=1 due to tunneling and localization effects. Experimental
evidence of such decay should be observable in mesoscopic systems and cold
atoms.Comment: revtex, 4 pages, 4 figure
Quantum Poincare Recurrences for Hydrogen Atom in a Microwave Field
We study the time dependence of the ionization probability of Rydberg atoms
driven by a microwave field, both in classical and in quantum mechanics. The
quantum survival probability follows the classical one up to the Heisenberg
time and then decays algebraically as P(t) ~ 1/t. This decay law derives from
the exponentially long times required to escape from some region of the phase
space, due to tunneling and localization effects. We also provide parameter
values which should allow to observe such decay in laboratory experiments.Comment: revtex, 4 pages, 4 figure
Deep learning-based image reconstruction and motion estimation from undersampled radial k-space for real-time MRI-guided radiotherapy
Clathrin light chain A drives selective myosin VI recruitment to clathrin-coated pits under membrane tension
Clathrin light chains (CLCa and CLCb) are major constituents of clathrin-coated vesicles. Unique functions for these evolutionary conserved paralogs remain elusive, and their role in clathrin-mediated endocytosis in mammalian cells is debated. Here, we find and structurally characterize a direct and selective interaction between CLCa and the long isoform of the actin motor protein myosin VI, which is expressed exclusively in highly polarized tissues. Using genetically-reconstituted Caco-2 cysts as proxy for polarized epithelia, we provide evidence for coordinated action of myosin VI and CLCa at the apical surface where these proteins are essential for fission of clathrin-coated pits. We further find that myosin VI and Huntingtin-interacting protein 1-related protein (Hip1R) are mutually exclusive interactors with CLCa, and suggest a model for the sequential function of myosin VI and Hip1R in actin-mediated clathrin-coated vesicle budding
INTEGRATED DATING OF THE CONSTRUCTION AND RESTORATION OF THE MODENA CATHEDRAL VAULTS (NORTHERN ITALY): PRELIMINARY RESULTS
After the last damaging earthquake in 2012, an anti-seismic reinforcement project of the cathedral of
Modena was designed giving us the opportunity to investigate and date the building materials. Radiocarbon (14C),
optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), and thermoluminescence (TL) dating techniques were performed on the
vaults with the aim to (1) clarify the construction timing, (2) define the history of the restorations, and (3) explore
the possible correlation of the main restoration works to the earthquake chronology deduced from the historic
catalog. Preliminary results show that medieval older bricks were reused for most of the original construction.
Only lime and non-gypsum mortar was used for the original construction in the 15th century and for later repair
of damage caused by earthquakes in the 16th and 17th centuries. Gypsum mortar was used for later repair in the
18th century. The results show much stronger damage due to earthquakes than previously thought
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