Modest phenotypic improvements in ASA-deficient mice with only one UDP-galactose:ceramide-galactosyltransferase gene

BACKGROUND: Arylsulfatase A (ASA)-deficient mice are a model for the lysosomal storage disorder metachromatic leukodystrophy. This lipidosis is characterised by the lysosomal accumulation of the sphingolipid sulfatide. Storage of this lipid is associated with progressive demyelination. We have mated ASA-deficient mice with mice heterozygous for a non-functional allele of UDP-galactose:ceramide-galactosyltransferase (CGT). This deficiency is known to lead to a decreased synthesis of galactosylceramide and sulfatide, which should reduce sulfatide storage and improve pathology in ASA-deficient mice. RESULTS: ASA-/- CGT+/- mice, however, showed no detectable decrease in sulfatide storage. Neuronal degeneration of cells in the spiral ganglion of the inner ear, however, was decreased. Behavioural tests showed small but clear improvements of the phenotype in ASA-/- CGT+/- mice. CONCLUSION: Thus the reduction of galactosylceramide and sulfatide biosynthesis by genetic means overall causes modest improvements of pathology

The Establishment of the Nordic Cardio-Oncology Society

Non peer reviewe

Four-loop anomalous dimensions in Leigh-Strassler deformations

We determine the scalar part of the four-loop chiral dilatation operator for Leigh-Strassler deformations of N=4 super Yang-Mills. This is sufficient to find the four-loop anomalous dimensions for operators in closed scalar subsectors. This includes the SU(2) subsector of the (complex) beta-deformation, where we explicitly compute the anomalous dimension for operators with a single impurity. It also includes the "3-string null" operators of the cubic Leigh-Strassler deformation. Our four-loop results show that the rational part of the anomalous dimension is consistent with a conjecture made in arXiv:1108.1583 based on the three-loop result of arXiv:1008.3351 and the N=4 magnon dispersion relation. Here we find additional zeta(3) terms.Comment: Latex, feynmp, 21 page

Structure of the string R-matrix

By requiring invariance directly under the Yangian symmetry, we rederive Beisert's quantum R-matrix, in a form that carries explicit dependence on the representation labels, the braiding factors, and the spectral parameters u_i. In this way, we demonstrate that there exist a rewriting of its entries, such that the dependence on the spectral parameters is purely of difference form. Namely, the latter enter only in the combination u_1-u_2, as indicated by the shift automorphism of the Yangian. When recasted in this fashion, the entries exhibit a cleaner structure, which allows to spot new interesting relations among them. This permits to package them into a practical tensorial expression, where the non-diagonal entries are taken care by explicit combinations of symmetry algebra generators.Comment: 9 pages, LaTeX; typos correcte

Manifolds of magnetic ordered states and excitations in the almost Heisenberg pyrochlore antiferromagnet MgCr2O4

In spinels ACr2O4 (A=Mg, Zn), realization of the classical pyrochlore Heisenberg antiferromagnet model is complicated by a strong spin-lattice coupling: the extensive degeneracy of the ground state is lifted by a magneto-structural transition at TN = 12.5 K. We study the resulting low-temperature low-symmetry crystal structure by synchrotron x-ray diffraction. The consistent features of x-ray low-temperature patterns are explained by the tetragonal model of Ehrenberg et al. [Pow. Diff. 17, 230 (2002)], while other features depend on sample or cooling protocol. A complex, partially ordered magnetic state is studied by neutron diffraction and spherical neutron polarimetry. Multiple magnetic domains of configuration arms of the propagation vectors k1 = (1/2 1/2 0), k2 = (1 0 1/2 ) appear. The ordered moment reaches 1.94(3) μB/Cr3+ for k1 and 2.08(3) μB/Cr3+ for k2, if equal amount of the k1 and k2 phases is assumed. The magnetic arrangements have the dominant components along the [110] and [1−10] diagonals and a smaller c component.We use inelastic neutron scattering to investigate the spin excitations, which comprise a mixture of dispersive spin waves propagating from the magnetic Bragg peaks and resonance modes centered at equal energy steps of 4.5 meV.We interpret these as acoustic and optical spin wave branches, but show that the neutron scattering cross sections of transitions within a unit of two corner-sharing tetrahedra match the observed intensity distribution of the resonances. The distinctive fingerprint of clusterlike excitations in the optical spin wave branches suggests that propagating excitations are localized by the complex crystal structure and magnetic orders

Engineering a pure Dirac regime in ZrTe5_5

Real-world topological semimetals typically exhibit Dirac and Weyl nodes that coexist with trivial Fermi pockets. This tends to mask the physics of the relativistic quasiparticles. Using the example of ZrTe$_5$, we show that strain provides a powerful tool for in-situ tuning of the band structure such that all trivial pockets are pushed far away from the Fermi energy, but only for a certain range of Van der Waals gaps. Our results naturally reconcile contradicting reports on the presence or absence of additional pockets in ZrTe$_5$, and provide a clear map of where to find a pure three-dimensional Dirac semimetallic phase in the structural parameter space of the material.Comment: 17 page

Risk factors for delayed presentation and referral of symptomatic cancer: Evidence for common cancers

Background:It has been suggested that the known poorer survival from cancer in the United Kingdom, compared with other European countries, can be attributed to more advanced cancer stage at presentation. There is, therefore, a need to understand the diagnostic process, and to ascertain the risk factors for increased time to presentation.Methods:We report the results from two worldwide systematic reviews of the literature on patient-mediated and practitioner-mediated delays, identifying the factors that may influence these.Results:Across cancer sites, non-recognition of symptom seriousness is the main patient-mediated factor resulting in increased time to presentation. There is strong evidence of an association between older age and patient delay for breast cancer, between lower socio-economic status and delay for upper gastrointestinal and urological cancers and between lower education level and delay for breast and colorectal cancers. Fear of cancer is a contributor to delayed presentation, while sanctioning of help seeking by others can be a powerful mediator of reduced time to presentation. For practitioner delay, ‘misdiagnosis’ occurring either through treating patients symptomatically or relating symptoms to a health problem other than cancer, was an important theme across cancer sites. For some cancers, this could also be linked to inadequate patient examination, use of inappropriate tests or failing to follow-up negative or inconclusive test results.Conclusion:Having sought help for potential cancer symptoms, it is therefore important that practitioners recognise these symptoms, and examine, investigate and refer appropriately. © 2009 Cancer Research UK All rights reserved