Polymorphism of the tumor necrosis factor beta gene in systemic lupus erythematosus

We investigated the Nco I restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of the tumor necrosis factor beta (TNFB) gene in 173 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 192 unrelated healthy controls, and eleven panel families, all of German origin. The phenotype frequency of the TNFB*I allele was significantly increased in patients compared to controls (63.6% vs 47.1%, RR = 1.96, p <0.002). The results of a two-point haplotype statistical analysis between TNFB and HLA alleles show that there is linkage disequilibrium between TNFB*I and HLA-A1, Cw7, B8, DR3, DQ2, and C4A DE. The frequency of TNFB*I was compared in SLE patients and controls in the presence or absence of each of these alleles. TNFB*I is increased in patients over controls only in the presence of the mentioned alleles. Therefore, the whole haplotypeA1, Cw7, B8, TNFB* I, C4A DE, DR3, DQ2 is increased in patients and it cannot be determined which of the genes carried by this haplotype is responsible for the susceptibility to SLE. In addition, two-locus associations were analyzed in 192 unrelated healthy controls for TNFB and class I alleles typed by serology, and for TNFB and class II alleles typed by polymerase chain reaction/oligonucleotide probes. We found positive linkage disequilibrium between TNFB*I and the following alleles: HLA-A24, HLA-B8, DRBI*0301, DRBI*ll04, DRBI*1302, DQAI*0501, DQBI*0201, DQBI*0604, and DPBI*OIO1. TNFB*2 is associated with HLA-B7, DRBI*1501, and DQB I *0602

A novel approach to track finding in a drift tube chamber

A novel track finding approach for drift tube detectors

Universality of Long-Range Correlations in Expansion-Randomization Systems

We study the stochastic dynamics of sequences evolving by single site mutations, segmental duplications, deletions, and random insertions. These processes are relevant for the evolution of genomic DNA. They define a universality class of non-equilibrium 1D expansion-randomization systems with generic stationary long-range correlations in a regime of growing sequence length. We obtain explicitly the two-point correlation function of the sequence composition and the distribution function of the composition bias in sequences of finite length. The characteristic exponent $\chi$ of these quantities is determined by the ratio of two effective rates, which are explicitly calculated for several specific sequence evolution dynamics of the universality class. Depending on the value of $\chi$, we find two different scaling regimes, which are distinguished by the detectability of the initial composition bias. All analytic results are accurately verified by numerical simulations. We also discuss the non-stationary build-up and decay of correlations, as well as more complex evolutionary scenarios, where the rates of the processes vary in time. Our findings provide a possible example for the emergence of universality in molecular biology.Comment: 23 pages, 15 figure

The Perfect Match! A Review and Tutorial on Issues Related to Matching Groups in Investigations of Children with Neurodevelopmental Conditions

Research concerned with children and young people who have neurodevelopmental disabilities (ND) in relation to early language acquisition usually involves comparisons with matched group(s) of typically developing individuals. In these studies, several important and complex issues need to be addressed. Three major issues are related to: (1) the choice of a variables on which to carry out group matching; (2) recruiting children into the study; and (3) the statistical analysis of the data. To assist future research on this topic, we discuss each of these three issues and provide recommendations about what we believe to be the best course of action. To provide a comprehensive review of the methodological issues, we draw on research beyond the topic of early language acquisition. Our overall aim is to contribute to research that considers questions about delay or differences in development patterns of development and about identifying potentially causal variables

A Finite Difference Representation of Neutrino Radiation Hydrodynamics in Spherically Symmetric General Relativistic Space-Time

We present an implicit finite difference representation for general relativistic radiation hydrodynamics in spherical symmetry. Our code, Agile-Boltztran, solves the Boltzmann transport equation for the angular and spectral neutrino distribution functions in self-consistent simulations of stellar core collapse and postbounce evolution. It implements a dynamically adaptive grid in comoving coordinates. Most macroscopically interesting physical quantities are defined by expectation values of the distribution function. We optimize the finite differencing of the microscopic transport equation for a consistent evolution of important expectation values. We test our code in simulations launched from progenitor stars with 13 solar masses and 40 solar masses. ~0.5 s after core collapse and bounce, the protoneutron star in the latter case reaches its maximum mass and collapses further to form a black hole. When the hydrostatic gravitational contraction sets in, we find a transient increase in electron flavor neutrino luminosities due to a change in the accretion rate. The muon- and tauon-neutrino luminosities and rms energies, however, continue to rise because previously shock-heated material with a non-degenerate electron gas starts to replace the cool degenerate material at their production site. We demonstrate this by supplementing the concept of neutrinospheres with a more detailed statistical description of the origin of escaping neutrinos. We compare the evolution of the 13 solar mass progenitor star to simulations with the MGFLD approximation, based on a recently developed flux limiter. We find similar results in the postbounce phase and validate this MGFLD approach for the spherically symmetric case with standard input physics.Comment: reformatted to 63 pages, 24 figures, to be published in ApJ

General-Relativistic Thomas-Fermi model

A system of self-gravitating massive fermions is studied in the framework of the general-relativistic Thomas-Fermi model. We study the properties of the free energy functional and its relation to Einstein's field equations. A self-gravitating fermion gas we then describe by a set of Thomas-Fermi type self-consistency equations.Comment: 7 pages, LaTex, to appear in Gen. Rel. Gra

Strategic verbal rehearsal in adolescents with mild intellectual disabilities: A multi-centre European study

Background: There is a long-held view that verbal short-term memory problems of individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) might be due to a deficit in verbal rehearsal. However, the evidence is inconclusive and word length effects as indicator of rehearsal have been criticised. Aim & Method: The aim of this multi-site European study was to investigate verbal rehearsal in adolescents with mild ID (n=90) and a comparison group of typically developing children matched individually for mental age (MA, n=90). The investigation involved: (1) a word length experiment with non-verbal recall using pointing and (2) ‘self-paced’ inspection times to infer whether verbal strategies were utilised when memorising a set of pictorial items. Results: The word length effect on recall did not interact with group, suggesting that adolescents with ID and MA comparisons used similar verbal strategies, possibly phonological recoding of picture names. The inspection time data suggested that high span individuals in both groups used verbal labelling or single item rehearsal on more demanding lists, as long named items had longer inspection times. Conclusions: The findings suggest that verbal strategy use is not specifically impaired in adolescents with mild ID and is mental age appropriate, supporting a developmental perspective

Semi-Hard Scattering Unraveled from Collective Dynamics by Two-Pion Azimuthal Correlations in 158 A GeV/c Pb + Au Collisions

Elliptic flow and two-particle azimuthal correlations of charged hadrons and high-$p_T$ pions ($p_T>$ 1 GeV/$c$) have been measured close to mid-rapidity in 158A GeV/$c$ Pb+Au collisions by the CERES experiment. Elliptic flow ($v_2$) rises linearly with $p_T$ to a value of about 10% at 2 GeV/$c$. Beyond $p_T\approx$ 1.5 GeV/$c$, the slope decreases considerably, possibly indicating a saturation of $v_2$ at high $p_T$. Two-pion azimuthal anisotropies for $p_T>$ 1.2 GeV/$c$ exceed the elliptic flow values by about 60% in mid-central collisions. These non-flow contributions are attributed to near-side and back-to-back jet-like correlations, the latter exhibiting centrality dependent broadening.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev. Letters, 4 pages, 5 figure

Investigating Reading Comprehension in Adolescents with Intellectual Disabilities: Evaluating the Simple View of Reading

Reading comprehension difficulties are common in individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID), but the influences of underlying abilities related to reading comprehension in this group have rarely been investigated. One aim of this study was to investigate the Simple View of Reading as a theoretical framework to describe cognitive and linguistic abilities predicting individual differences in reading comprehension in adolescents with non-specific ID. A second aim was to investigate whether predictors of listening comprehension and reading comprehension suggest that individuals with ID have a delayed pattern of development (copying early grade variance in reading comprehension) or a different pattern of development involving a new or an unusual pattern of cognitive and linguistic predictors. A sample of 136 adolescents with non-specific ID was assessed on reading comprehension, decoding, linguistic, and cognitive measures. The hypotheses were evaluated using structural equation models. The results showed that the Simple View of Reading was not applicable in explaining reading comprehension in this group, however, the concurrent predictors of comprehension (vocabulary and phonological executive-loaded working memory) followed a delayed profile

The consequences of nuclear electron capture in core collapse supernovae

The most important weak nuclear interaction to the dynamics of stellar core collapse is electron capture, primarily on nuclei with masses larger than 60. In prior simulations of core collapse, electron capture on these nuclei has been treated in a highly parameterized fashion, if not ignored. With realistic treatment of electron capture on heavy nuclei come significant changes in the hydrodynamics of core collapse and bounce. We discuss these as well as the ramifications for the post-bounce evolution in core collapse supernovae.Comment: Accepted by PRL, 5 pages, 2 figure